Tyler man gets 50 years in death of three-year-old

TYLER — A Tyler man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday morning for his role in a child abuse case after originally being charged with capital murder. That’s according to our news partner KETK. In a case that Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman called “highly emotional,” 41-year-old Manuel Williams will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the death of his 3-year-old daughter. Courtnie Williams, the victim’s mother, is also charged, and her case is still pending. Police testimony alleged that the injuries found on the child’s body indicate “a history of abuse.”

Putman had announced last year that he was initially seeking the death penalty for Manuel Williams before Wednesday’s plea hearing. Williams officially pleaded guilty to an injury to a child charge. Putman said, “Unfortunately, the way the law is in Texas right now, they make the death penalty very difficult for people who murder children. I don’t think the law should be that way. But that’s the way it is.” But Putman added that as things worked out, “there’s no appeals, and so (the) laws that make it difficult for us won’t be an issue.”