Former Army Soldier Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of his Five-Year-Old Daughter

WASHINGTON – An Army soldier was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today for murdering his five-year-old daughter, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni of the District of Hawaii.

Naeem Williams, 34, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright of the District of Hawaii. On June 27, 2014, a federal jury in Honolulu found Williams guilty of beating his daughter, Talia Williams, to death at the family’s residence on Wheeler Army Airfield in Honolulu.

The jury also convicted Williams of participating, along with his wife, Delilah Williams, in a pattern and practice of assault and torture from December 2004 until July 16, 2005, that resulted in Talia’s death. In addition, Williams was convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements to Army Criminal Investigation Division agents on the night of his arrest in July 2005.

The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Naeem Williams and his wife beat Talia almost daily. Naeem Williams testified that the abuse was aimed at disciplining his daughter for bathroom accidents and was exacerbated due to frustrations he was experiencing in his marriage. The evidence indicated that the physical abuse included punching Talia repeatedly, commanding her to eat her own feces, depriving her of food, requiring her to do strenuous exercises and then beating her when she was unable to continue, and using duct tape to bind her to a bed post where she was whipped with a belt. In the hours preceding her death, Naeem Williams struck Talia and her head slammed backwards against the floor. Talia then appeared to have a seizure.

Delilah Williams pleaded guilty to first-degree felony murder, agreed to testify against her husband and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Steven D. Mellin of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching of the District of Hawaii.