Plea deadline for Tyler parents charged with capital murder

SMITH COUNTY — The plea deadline for two Smith County parents charged in the death of their three-year-old daughter has been set for August 12. According to our news partner KETK, 40-year-old Manuel Williams and 31-year-old Courtnie Williams both could face the death penalty. 241st District Court Judge Jack Skeen gave the couple a little more than a month to decide whether they will go to trial. On July 15, 2020, first responders found Kodie Williams, 3, unresponsive in her Tyler home. Police found that she “had numerous bruises to the face,” according to a warrant obtained by KETK. She was rushed to a local hospital where she later died. Both Manuel and Courtnie would not provide an explanation for the “numerous injures to her body.”