WASKOM, Texas — A Waskom woman was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday after she was convicted in connection with the 2019 death of her 5-year-old son.
According to the Harrison County District Attorney's Office, a jury found Danielle Faulkner, 32, guilty on a injury to a child by omission causing serious bodily injury. Jurors then issued a sentence of 45 years after hearing more evidence during the trial.
The DA's Office said sheriff's office deputies were called to a residence on Sept. 18, 2019 regarding suspected child abuse. First responders were initially told the child was having seizures; however, when they arrived, they learned the condition was posturing, which can be exhibited when someone has a traumatic brain injury.
Once taken to a hospital, the child later died. After investigation, the DA's office said deputies learned Faulkner's boyfriend, Larry Dwayne Prudhomme Jr., 34, and his younger brother caused the injuries.
Prudhomme was sentenced to 50 years back in March for the murder of the young victim, according to the Marshall News-Messenger.
During the trial, Dr. Boykin of LSU Medical Center said the child sustained a significant subarachnoid hematoma to the head as well as numerous bruises all over the body. He also said the child had a previous subarachnoid hematoma that was healing.
Investigators told jurors that several months before the incident, Faulkner took her children to her mother's residence in the Houston area to escape the abuse but she later brought them back one month later.
Police also learned that Faulkner had not yet enrolled the child in school, despite that the academic year was underway for a month.
In law enforcement interviews, Faulkner denied that she saw injuries to the child. But she said in one interview that she thought her boyfriend disciplined her child too hard and that he was capable of causing serious injury, the DA's Office said.
In the punishment phase of the trial, she again denied that she noticed any injuries to her child despite seeing multiple photos of bruising all over the child’s body including an eye that was swollen shut and an ear that was swollen and bruised, the DA's Office reported.