Sunday, August 24, 2014

Baby Dies As A Result of 'Wrestling'

A Bronx woman who ran a day care out of her apartment called the abuse that led to the death of a baby in her care: "wrestling."

Athena Skeeter, 40, was charged with manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of little 20-month-old Cardell Williamson.


It is best when we have direct quotes.  It is difficult when the press paraphrases, or breaks up quotes.  However, here we seem to have enough for analysis:



"I was wrestling with Cardell," Skeeter told police, according to court documents. "I flipped him on the bed. … I lifted him by one arm and one leg and threw him to the floor."

Note the word "with" when found between people, indicates distance.  
Note the strong use of "I" and past tense verbs. 
She is speaking truthful sentences.  These are the things she did to a toddler. 

After Cardell landed on the hardwood floor, Skeeter allegedly told police she stepped on the toddler's stomach three times, but argued that she "didn't use full force."

Which indicates the use of force when she stomped him.  


"I then threw my son on top of Cardell and stepped on his stomach three times," she told cops. "Cardell acted different after that."

She stomped the child.  Even if the number 3 appears, and the number of stomps is debated, that she stomped him is true.  Look at the pronoun "I" and the past tense verbs to guide you on what she did.  I bet the autopsy will agree, perhaps not with severity or number, but will verify that what she said she did, she did.  She had beaten this child before.  

After being stomped on numerous times, the child threw up and his head kept tilting, Skeeter told police.

"He couldn't walk on his own," Skeeter told cops. "I put him in the bathtub and put cold water on his face."

There is no deceit in these sentences, even if the number of stomps is not accurate (3), as she described, basically, the "wrestling moves" she put upon the child, which killed the child. 

She beat him to death.  

Skeeter told police she left the bathroom to get a chair and when she returned, Williamson's head was in the now steaming-hot water.

"Cardell was unresponsive and had burns on his arm and face," she continued. "My mother was in her room the whole time. I was in my room with the boys playing."

Next, the boy's father spoke.  How close was the father and son?



The boy's father, Carlyle Williamson, said his son came home before with bruises and a split lip but that the day care operator always had an excuse.

"I hope she gets charged to the fullest extent of the law," he said. "She took a presence from my life that will never be replaced."

Note that the child was a "presence" in his life.  

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like something a 10-year-old would do. But, a 40 years young woman? Incredible to read; must have been worse listening to the confession.

Anonymous said...

My God. This is horrible.

Anonymous said...

Sick!

Not only did she throw him on the floor, stomp and beat him to death, she then put him in burning hot water! I don't want to believe the things I read sometimes. :(

Anonymous said...

This is horrific! I have three boys, two go to preschool/daycare. My youngest had marks on his face twice from falling at daycare(supposedly) I believe it was due to the negligence of the daycare. I moved them ASAP into one where they never come home with any bruises etc.., they don't cry. This story breaks my heart and makes me realize how scary the reality is that this could happen to anyone, however if I were the father in this situation and my son had bruises on multiple occasions obvious turn that B*%ch in and find a safe environment for him.

Anonymous said...

You don't wrestle a baby like that! I don't allow my two toddlers to wrestle each other, I can't imagine this full grown woman even thinking this would be safe!!

Sus said...

Yes, she is speaking truthfully telling exactly what she did. And she seems to have no inkling that it is wrong. Generational abuse.

Unknown said...

Horrifying!

Tania Cadogan said...

"I was wrestling with Cardell," Skeeter told police, according to court documents. "I flipped him on the bed. … I lifted him by one arm and one leg and threw him to the floor."

She FLIPPED him onto the bed.
What is her definition of flipped?

Show me.

She then THREW him to the floor.
The poor baby, this wasn't wrestling this was beating him to death.
She literally threw him to the floor and then stepped on his stomach but 'not with full force'.

What was her definition of not full force?
Would full force to her mean jumping on his stomach?
Not full force would then be anything up to kicking him.

He was 20 months old

Does she watch the extreme wrestling programmes?

Did she 'wrestle' other children in her care?

What about her own children?
How old are they?
Does she 'wrestle'them?

If this was wrestling, how does she discipline a child?

" Skeeter told cops. "I put him in the bathtub and put cold water on his face."
Skeeter told police she left the bathroom to get a chair and when she returned, Williamson's head was in the now steaming-hot water.


Missing information.
She tells us she put him in the bathtub and put cold water on his face.
Note she doesn't say splashed cold water or used a flannel wet with cold water on his face, she simply says i put cold water on his face.

How did she put cold water on his face?

She then goes to get a chair and comes back to find him lying in the now steaming water.
Here is passivity and lying by ommission.

How did the hot water get in the bath?
given his condition he would have been unlikely to have turned the tap on himself, so, who turned the tap on?
We have her putting cold water on his face and then he is lying in the now steaming water.

Who put the plug in?

was the cold water she put on his face actually from the hotwater tap in the second or so before the hot water comes through?

Instead of using the cold water tap she used water from the hot water tap which is how the now steaming water appeared?

Why did she go and get a chair?
What was she planning to do with the chair?

is this her subtly blaming the victim?
I went to get a chair and when i came back he was in steaming hot water. He must have put the plug in and turned the hot water tap on. It wasn't mewho boiled him., it was his own fault etc etc.

What is missing is he makes no sound, she doesn't say she heard a scream or a cry as soon as the hot water came though and scalded him.
if water is too hot a child will scream ( heck some scream if they get their toes wet or when having their hair washed ( so did some of the geriatrics i cared for, one in particular really hated having her heair washed)

At no point does she say he made any sound.

Was he dead, dying or unconscious when she dumped him in the bath?

Tania Cadogan said...

"I then threw my son on top of Cardell and stepped on his stomach three times," she told cops. "Cardell acted different after that."

This reads as if she was in a rage.
She threw the baby on the floor, then she threw her son on top of the baby and STEPPED on his stomach three times.
Three is the liars number (Mark McClish) i wonder how many times she actually STEPPED on his stomach.

Is this partially blaming her son for the injury?
She threw her son onto Cardell and then STEPPED on his stomach.
Is she claiming her son caused the injury when he landed on him after being thrown, rather than her 'stepping' on him?

I would ask her what she meant by stepping on him and seek a demonstration.
Show me how you stepped on him.

I would ask what happened before she 'wrestled with him'
What was he doing?
Who else was present?
What were they doing?
What was she doing?
What caused her to 'wrestle' him
What did the other children do?

Was her own son injured after being thrown on Cardell?

Does she have any substance abise history ( booze or drugs)?
Have there been complaints about her care?
Was she known to the CPS or LE?

How many children does she have?
How many did she care for?
Was she registered and licenced?
If so when?
How many was she allowed to care for?

Anonymous said...

There are lonely, heartsick and grieving mothers in prison where she will go. I hope they stomp, kick and beat the living daylights out of her on a daily basis, finally and slowly killing her in great pain. Then God have mercy on her soul.

Even God requires our vigilance and justice in judgment against the abusers and killers of our helpless babes and children.

Tania Cadogan said...


Is she claiming her son caused the injury when he landed on him after being thrown, rather than her 'stepping' on him

Implying not complaining

Tania Cadogan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
S + K Mum said...

Poor baby :( I can't bring myself to read further than her lifting him by one arm and one leg and throwing him on the floor.

Anonymous said...

Horrible. Hopefully the "wrestling" nonsense defence will only backfire on her. That is not even minimizing her attack on a helpless toddler, but straight out lying.