Man pleads to killing 3-year-old on the North Side

A North Side man will serve eight to 16 years in prison for killing a 3-year-old boy.

Jamal Williams, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree murder and one count of reckless endangerment before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Randal Todd on Thursday.

Williams was accused of abusing Major Troutman on Feb. 6, 2018, at the boy’s home. He died six days later.

Police were called after the boy’s mother, Asia Christian, reported that day that he was not breathing.

She initially told police that Major had been injured when he was jumping on the bed and fell off, Deputy District Attorney Jennifer DiGiovanni told the judge. Christian claimed the toddler had a seizure and went limp.

But later, she told police that she had left Major with Williams, who was her live-in boyfriend, while she went that day to pay the rent.

When she returned, Christian told police that Williams was walking out of the second-floor bathroom with Major after having given him a bath, DiGiovanni said.

Christian said the boy appeared to be in good health and was walking on his own.

A short time later, she heard a loud thump from the bedroom, and when she rushed to it, she saw Williams holding Major up by his body, shaking him and trying to get him to respond, DiGiovanni said.

Williams said, “‘It was an accident,’ and ‘they were just playing/wrestling,’” Christian told police.

She later told investigators that Williams had previously punched Major in the chest “very hard.”

He died from blunt force trauma to the head and also had other healing bruises on his arms and legs.