Tulsa Woman Sentenced for Enabling the Abuse of a 3-Year-Old Child

A Tulsa woman who enabled the abuse of a young child was sentenced Monday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Amanda Lyn Walker, 42, to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.

On June 23, 2021, a federal jury found Walker guilty of two counts of enabling acts of child abuse in Indian Country and her boyfriend, Craig Allan Morrison, 37, guilty of two counts of child abuse in Indian Country. Morrison is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14.

On June 23, 2021, a federal jury found Walker guilty of two counts of enabling acts of child abuse in Indian Country and her boyfriend, Craig Allan Morrison, 37, guilty of two counts of child abuse in Indian Country. Morrison is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14.

“Amanda Walker lied to family and law enforcement about abuse inflicted on a young child by Craig Morrison,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Saint Francis Hospital’s pediatric staff, who reported the abuse to authorities, is to be commended for their thorough examination of the victim and dedication to protecting children.”

During the trial, the jury received evidence describing two separate instances of child abuse involving a then three-year-old child. Prosecutors contended that Walker had ignored the abuse, allowed it to continue, and chose to protect her boyfriend instead of the child.

The first incident took place on or about Dec. 20, 2019, when other family members observed and photographed a hand-shaped bruise on the child’s face. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Walker told a relative that Morrison had hit the child in the face while sleeping due to a “night terror” and that the child’s other bruises were from falls. The relative also reported several other examples where Walker allowed Morrison to mistreat the child, including shoving food into the child’s mouth, causing him to choke.

Walker was further warned by one of Morrison’s family members in text messages to distance herself from Morrison because he was dangerous. The family member also reported that Morrison said the child cried for no reason, so Morrison gave the child reason to cry.

The second incident took place on or about Feb. 18, 2020, when the victim was taken to the Saint Francis Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room with injuries and extensive bruising to the child’s head, back, shoulder, abdomen, buttocks, and leg.  Laboratory testing showed elevated liver enzymes and elevated amylase.   A pediatrician who treated the victim testified these laboratory tests indicated liver and pancreatic injuries and that the child’s injuries showed the child had suffered blunt force trauma and were the result of child abuse. The hospital contacted authorities.

When interviewed by Tulsa police officers, Walker claimed the child sometimes jumped off his bed and injured himself on the concrete floor, so she assumed that may have been what occurred. She decided to take the child to the hospital when she felt a contusion on the child’s head.

The crimes took place within the Muskogee Nation Reservation and the minor is a citizen of the Comanche Nation. 

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Noble Nelson and Chantelle D. Dial prosecuted the case.