Mother gets 16 years for abusing 5 kids

A judge Monday ordered a Colorado Springs woman to prison for 16 years for neglecting her five children so badly that the infant was almost starved to death and all appeared "feral" when they were taken from her.

Lisa Williford, 32, previously pleaded guilty to felony child abuse causing serious bodily injury and four misdemeanor child abuse charges in an agreement with prosecutors.

Chief 4th Judicial District Judge Kirk Samelson could have sentenced Williford to between 10 and 16 years.

He chose the top end after hearing from the Colorado Springs police detective who investigated the case, seeing a video of the home in the 3400 block of Greenwood Circle and hearing from the woman who adopted three of the children.

"It is inconceivable what you did to these children," Samelson said. "They will be affected for the rest of their lives."

The case came to investigators' attention when, in May 2007, four of the children - all under 8 years old - were found prowling the neighborhood shoeless looking for food. A 15-month old boy was found dehydrated and malnourished in a crib caked with feces and urine. A doctor testified Friday the boy would have died in a few days had he not been found.

Det. Dave Krueger said he interviewed the 8-year-old boy, who told him he was in charge of feeding and caring for the children.

"They just looked like they were feral," Krueger said. "They looked like wild children."

The boy told the detective he hadn't seen his mother in about 20 days, that she was gone when he went to bed and when he woke up in the morning.

The video showed trash, feces and rotten, moldy food covering all the floors. The refrigerator contained only condiments and a bottle of expired milk the boy said he couldn't open. The cupboards were empty. The freezer had only one box of frozen vegetables in it. None of the beds had sheets and writing covered all the walls. One of the children used a dresser drawer to defecate in.

"I wouldn't want a pet living in this house," Krueger said, noting it was condemned by code enforcement officers.

The woman who adopted three of the children, the infant boy and the two young girls, said they acted "animalistic" when she first got them.

The infant did not walk until he was 20 months old and still has underdeveloped muscles, said the woman, who was identified only as "Marie" in court because of security concerns.

One of the girls, who was 4 years old at the time, was destructive and violent when she first came to Marie. She would punch herself and attack others. She would eat dirt, foam bath toys and "anything she could chew and swallow." She was also terrified of being left alone.

The other girl, who was almost 3 years old at the time, was "essentially mute" when Marie took her.

All were terrified of baths. All guarded their food when they were eating, she said. And they marveled at the grocery store and still think it's a treat to go, she said.

"They are so thankful for the most basic things, like underwear," Marie said.

The older boys live with family members.

"I'm extremely sorry for putting them through that," said Williford, describing her home as "horrible and disgusting."

"I'm trying to make myself better and figure out why I did such an awful thing," she said.

Her public defender, Patricia Behan, said Williford willingly terminated her parental rights, wanted the plea deal to avoid a trial for the kids' sake and has taken steps "that have prevented herself from ever being able to have children."