Detroit Couple Sentenced After Beating 7-Year-Old Boy to Death in ‘Sick, Demonic, Ritual-Like’ Attack

DETROIT, Michigan — A Michigan mother and her boyfriend have been sentenced to decades in prison for the brutal beating death of her 7-year-old son, a killing described by family members as a “sick, demonic, ritual-like crime.”Boy’s Night of Horror Inside Detroit Home

According to prosecutors, Alisha Hollamon, 25, and Avion Traylor, 23, both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2023 death of Deshawn Williams, Hollamon’s young son.

Detroit police responded just after midnight on October 22, 2023, to a home on the 3700 block of Hurlbut Street, where they found Deshawn covered in scars and abrasions across his face, back, and chest. He was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Medical examiners determined that the boy died from blunt-force trauma to his head and pelvis — which had been broken in half, according to prosecutors.

Assistant Prosecutor Tina Ripley said in court that “it looked as though he was dragged across a rough surface,” calling the attack “unimaginably brutal.”

Prosecutors: “He Lived a Nightmare”

During the couple’s arraignment, prosecutors told the court that Deshawn had “lived a nightmare” in his final moments.

Traylor was identified as the one who inflicted the abuse, while Hollamon allegedly stood by and did nothing to stop it.

The pair were originally charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, and torture, but those charges were dropped as part of a plea deal reached last month.

Judge Paul Cusick of Wayne County’s Third Circuit Court said the case was among the most horrific he had seen in nearly three decades. “I’ve seen a lot in my time as a lawyer and judge,” Cusick said. “This child was crying for his life.”

Family: “A Sick, Demonic, Ritual-Like Crime”

During the sentencing hearing, Deshawn’s aunt, Krystal Hollamon — the sister of the child’s mother — described her nephew’s death as something “straight from evil.”

She told the court, “This was a sick, demonic, ritual-like crime. You’re evil. Your mom gave birth to a demon.”

Family members said Deshawn had been a happy and gentle boy who loved drawing and playing games, and that his final days were filled with fear and pain.

Sentences and Aftermath

Judge Cusick sentenced Hollamon to 20 to 40 years in prison and Traylor to 28 to 60 years, emphasizing that both would be held fully accountable.

The case drew outrage across Michigan, with Fox 2 Detroit and The Detroit News reporting that investigators believed the couple carried out the assault for hours before calling 911.

Wayne County prosecutors said the case reflects “a pattern of unchecked violence and neglect” that turned deadly.

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