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Adrionna Williams' family speaks for first time since mom was charged

PITTSBURGH — A mother charged in connection with the death of her 3-year-old daughter remained behind bars, as relatives of the girl began to speak out about her death.

A judge denied bond for Adriene Williams, 27, during Wednesday's arraignment. She was in the Allegheny County Jail, where Channel 11's Renee Kaminski reported Williams was on suicide watch.

Charges filed Tuesday against Williams included criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

According to the arrest warrant, Williams said she had been struggling with the demands of being a single mom before she suffocated her daughter.

While none of Adriene Williams’ family members were in court during her arraignment Wednesday, some took to social media where they posted comments that showed little support.

"How were you struggling when you really didn’t take care of her? We had her. You only had her at night,” Williams’ sister wrote.

Adrionna’s uncle echoed her aunt’s post.

“Man, she was not struggling. ‘Onna was with us seven days a week. (The) only time she left was when her mom came and got her at night,” he wrote.

Sonja Crosby, Adrionna’s paternal grandmother, said the whole family is being ripped apart.

“My 13-year-old called me this morning and said, ‘She killed her. She killed her. I can't believe she killed her.' These are kids!” she said.

Crosby said she also offered to help Adriene Williams with caring for Adrionna.

“We've always been there. We always told her, ‘You don't have to be stressed, bring that baby here,’” she said. “Adrionna was loved. She did have family.”

Adriene Williams’ ex-boyfriend, Edward Hawthorne, told Channel 11 News Thursday that he stood by her until the police evidence was released earlier this week.

Looking back, he said Adriene Williams put on a good act.

“I saw no discrepancies, no type of negative instances ever between the two. They were always just normal,” he said.

Hawthorne said he and Adriene Williams shared an interest in law enforcement and had both recently completed a written exam in the hopes of joining the police force. They were also both parents, and Hawthorne said he cared for Adrionna as much as he did his own daughter.

“(She was) very full of life, funny. (She) did the most adorable things you could ever imagine. She arrested my heart as soon as I saw her,” he said.

Hawthorne said his relationship with Adriene Williams ended in May, but once Adrionna’s body was found, he began checking in on her every day.

“I was supportive to Adriene up until the evidence was revealed. (I) didn't think there was any way,” he said. “I really don't see how she could've been overwhelmed. She had a very good support system with her family.”

Meanwhile, a woman who said she and her daughter were friends with Adriene and Adrionna Williams was taken aback by the news of the arrest.

“She was such a good mom. She seemed to care so much for her. For her to do something like this, it had to be a meltdown or a breakdown,” the woman, who didn’t want to be identified, said.

The Office of the Medical Examiner of Allegheny County determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner of death was homicide.

Adrionna was found on June 14 lying on her back in a wooded ravine off Chalmers Way in Swissvale.

Her family reported her missing to Wilkinsburg police less than an hour before a dog walker found the girl’s body just before 8 p.m.

The suspect had pleaded on Facebook and joined marchers several days later who called for "justice" and any leads on the girl.

Adriene Williams showed no emotion as she was led into a police cruiser Tuesday afternoon.

  • CLICK HERE to watch raw video of Adriene Williams being led into police headquarters

According to police paperwork, Adriene Williams was upset with Adrionna’s toileting skills, used a loud and angry voice with her daughter, and told her she didn’t want to play with her the day she dropped off Adrionna at her grandmother’s home.

Police paperwork also detailed that the mother kept a notebook in her car, writing in one entry, “This single parent (expletive) is stressful, hard as (expletive). I hate that I’m doing it on my own. I’ve been struggling hard.”

It also revealed that officers linked evidence from where Adrionna’s body was found to paperclips and mud found in Adriene Williams’ car.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 17. Channel 11 News learned that before news of Adriene Williams’ arrest, all donations were going to the family, but now they will go toward burial expenses.

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