Lamora Williams is accused of killing her two young children by putting them in an oven and turning it on, and now a picture is emerging of a woman that family members say struggled with untreated mental illness.
The 24-year-old Atlanta woman was arrested this week and charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of her two children, ages 1 and 2. The father of the children, Jameel Penn, told WSB-TV that Williams revealed the children’s gruesome deaths while on a video call with him.
“It was like a real horror movie. it was Friday the 13th,” he said. “When I saw my kid, how I saw my kid, that’s when I knew what was going on.”
The murders drew national attention, and now new details are emerging about Lamora Williams. Her mother, Breanda, said that Lamora had struggled with mental illness her entire life and believed her daughter was now suicidal while being held in jail.
Lamora’s sister, Tabitha Hollingsworth, also told WSB-TV that Lamora’s mental illness had family members worried. Hollingsworth said that the family had been working with officials in Georgia to address her mental state.
“This was something we saw that could possibly happen. She’s had issues from a baby. Issues my mom tried to address with the state of Georgia,” Hollingsworth said.
While Lamora Williams reportedly suffered mental illness her entire life, family members told CBS News that the condition had worsened in recent months and believed she was suffering from postpartum issues as well. According to the Mayo Clinic , a small percentage of new mothers suffer a condition called postpartum psychosis that can include hallucinations and obsessive thoughts about the baby or even attempt to harm the baby or themselves.
Family members indicated that Williams did not receive the proper care for her mental illnesses.
Details of the gruesome killings made headlines across the globe. Police documents showed that Williams allegedly placed her young children in the oven and then turned it on , the New York Post noted. After the children died, she allegedly removed the bodies and showed them to the children’s father in a video chat, prompting him to call the police.
Atlanta mother, Lamora Williams is charged for allegedly murdering her 2 kids. @wsbtv #Nightbeat pic.twitter.com/oTExzfUA4M
— Chris Jose (@ChrisJoseTV) October 14, 2017
Authorities are still determining the exact cause of death for the two children.
Lamora Williams remains behind bars in Georgia after being charged with murdering her two young children. She is being held without bail.
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