Punished for Wetting the Bed: Georgia Man Gets Life After 6-Year-Old Forced to Exercise in Heat Dies

A Henry County courtroom delivered a somber verdict Monday as a mother and her boyfriend were sentenced for the fatal abuse of a 6-year-old boy, closing a case that prosecutors say exposed devastating failures by those entrusted with a child’s care.

According to WSB-TV, the Henry County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Less Thompson Jr. will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole following his conviction on multiple charges connected to Jacob Andrew Williams’ death. Thompson was found guilty on October 3 and formally sentenced on October 22 after a jury convicted him of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, and first-degree cruelty to children.

“This was a horrific case,” District Attorney Darius Pattillo said in a statement. “A child’s life was taken by the very people who were responsible for caring for him and keeping him safe. Now that the case is closed, we hope this resolution brings some measure of peace to those who loved him. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by this terrible crime.”

The child’s mother, Deshante LaShawn Beard, pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree on the same day Thompson was sentenced. She received a 30-year sentence, with 25 years to be served in prison.

The abuse that led to the boy’s death occurred on June 13, 2021. According to court records and trial testimony, the child was repeatedly punished in the days leading up to his death for wetting the bed. On the day he collapsed, Thompson allegedly forced the boy to perform physically demanding exercises outdoors in extreme heat, including running laps and doing pushups.

Investigators testified that the child lost consciousness from exhaustion and that Thompson and Beard waited approximately four hours before calling for emergency help.

Medical experts who testified during the trial described extensive signs of ongoing abuse. Doctors explained that the physical punishment caused the child to go into shock, suffer brain swelling, and ultimately die.

Prosecutors said the sentencing brings accountability, though the loss of the child remains irreversible.