Detroit Mother Free After Children Died In Casino Parking Garage

Charges were not filed against the mother of two children who died in the Greektown Casino parking garage in Detroit, Michigan, in 2025.

The decision, announced on Wednesday, came after the Wayne County Prosecutor concluded there was insufficient evidence for charges to be presented.

The decision comes nearly one year after the passing of the woman’s children last February.

Detroit woman not charged for children's deaths

29-year-old Tateona Williams had parked her van in the Greektown Casino garage around 1:00 a.m. local time. Inside of her vehicle were her daughters, aged two, four and eight, and her sons, who were nine and 13.

Williams and her children lived in the fan for an unknown period due to being homeless.

The Detroit weather was brutally cold that night. Williams opted to leave her van idle and run through the night while her family slept, according to a news release from the prosecutor. 

The next morning, Williams awoke to find that nine-year-old Darnell Jr.’s lips were blue, and he was unresponsive. She phoned a friend and told her there was no gas in the tank.

Around noon, the friend and a man came to the van in a black sedan with a gas can. 20 minutes later, the man began working on the van’s engine. 

Williams left the van with Darnell and placed him in the back seat of the sedan, which dropped them off at the Children’s Hospital, where Darnell died.

The man and the friend were recalled to the van by Williams’ mother, who said that two-year-old A’millah had blue lips and wasn't breathing. The pair returned and took A'millah, the remaining children, and their grandmother back to the Children’s Hospital, where the young girl was also pronounced dead. 

Authorities remain concerned

It was believed that the van ran out of gas during the night, causing the engine to shut off and the children to freeze to death. 

However, Wayne County’s medical examiner determined from an autopsy on March 5, 2025, that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, which can happen if cars are left idling in enclosed areas.

The examiner ultimately determined the cause of death was "accidental." 

Investigators reviewed all of the evidence, which included security camera footage, witness statements, interviews with Williams and her mother, and phone logs, before ultimately deciding that they could not charge her.

Despite that, the prosecutor said that she feared for the well-being of the remaining children.

“We remain very concerned about the welfare of the remaining living children,” prosecutor Kym Worthy said. “While we, like many others, were heartened about the number of people and organizations that stepped in to help this family, we hope that those efforts will continue, and that those who are truly empowered to protect these children will continue to do so diligently.