Gloria Yvette Williams, 35, and Brian Ward Coulter, 31 – both of Harris County – have been arrested and face charges in the death of Williams’ 8-year-old son after investigators were contacted by the boy’s 15-year-old sibling on Oct. 24. The young boy had been dead for what authorities say is about a year in an apartment at 3535 Green Crest Drive, just south of Barker Reservoir.

“For many agency veterans, it was the most disturbing scene they worked in their entire law enforcement career,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez during an Oct. 27 press conference. “It seemed too horrific to be real.”

Gonzalez said there were three children, ages 15, 10 and 7, found in the home and that at least two of the children – he did not specify which – were on the autism spectrum. The teenaged boy had managed to call and report that the three boys had been left alone in the apartment for about a year and that his younger brother’s body was in the apartment.

When investigators arrived, they found the three living siblings were malnourished and the 10-year-old showed signs of recent physical abuse that investigators believe was caused by Coulter. The 10-year-old’s jaw was seriously injured, and surgery would be needed to get it to properly heal, said Sgt. Dennis Wolford of the HCSO Homicide Division.

Wolford said that it appeared the two younger children had not been permitted to leave the apartment since November 2020. He added that he suspects fear caused the teenaged boy not to call earlier because of a pattern of abuse in the situation.

Williams and Coulter were located on Oct. 24 and released without charges because not enough evidence had yet been collected to file charges, Wolford said. They were later arrested on Oct. 26 without incident after investigators had gathered enough evidence to file charges. The two had been living in a separate home from the children a little over 20 minutes away.

Williams is facing charges of injury to a child by omission, injury to a child with serious bodily injury and tampering with evidence. The last charge references the fact that her son’s body was hidden in the apartment while the other children resided in the home. Her bail has been set at $300,000 and Williams remains in custody at the Harris County jail. Her next court date is set for Nov. 5.

Williams has been charged with murder in the death of Williams’ 8-year-old son and is also being held at the Harris County Jail. His bond has been set at $1 million. His next court date is set for Dec. 15.