Three charged in Allen abuse case appear in court

SCOTTSVILLE — Three people who were indicted after the death of a toddler found in their Allen County home made court appearances Tuesday.

Deavan Williams, Alexandrae Price and Tina Price were each arraigned before Allen Circuit Judge Mark Thurmond on criminal charges stemming from the death of Mason Moulding.

Williams, 23, was arraigned on charges of murder and first-degree criminal abuse, with his attorney, Tom Rasinski of the Department of Public Advocacy, pleading not guilty on Williams’ behalf.

Alexandrae Price, 22, the mother of 16-month-old Mason, pleaded not guilty to a count of first-degree manslaughter as she stood with her court-appointed lawyer, Zanda Myers.

Lisa Price, 52, the grandmother of Mason Moulding, was arraigned on one count of first-degree criminal abuse, two counts of knowingly abuse/neglect an adult and 16 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals.

Appearing over Zoom while being held in Simpson County Detention Center, Lisa Price was appointed a public defender, Renae Tuck, to represent her.

Mason was pronounced dead on July 27 at The Medical Center in Scottsville, soon after police were called to a house on Cottage Drive where the child was reportedly unresponsive.

A subsequent autopsy documented rectal injuries that included a perforated colon, according to prior court testimony.

Detectives with the Allen County-Scottsville Crime Task Force who investigated the death established a timeline in which they allege that Mason was in Williams’ care on the night of his death while Alexandrae Price was at work and Tina Price was in the upstairs part of the residence.

Authorities allege that Alexandrae Price bears criminal responsibility for the death because she allowed Williams to care for the child while being aware of the hazardous conditions of the home.

Police who visited the residence after receiving the call reported “multiple hazards” to the child’s health, with the upper and lower floors of the house infested with insects and strewn with spoiled food, used diapers and other trash.

At a preliminary hearing in August in Allen District Court, Detective Ryan Dillon of the Scottsville Police Department said that police learned Williams and Alexandrae Price lived on the lower floor of the house with Mason, where there was a leaking sewer pipe and no access to running water.

Detectives reportedly learned from witnesses that Mason bathed in a kiddie pool outside the home near a heap of used diapers, with water being drawn from a hose.

“Mr. Williams himself admitted that he knew the living conditions at the house were not acceptable at all,” Dillon said while testifying at the August hearing.

Dillon also said that Williams disclosed to detectives that he inserted multiple Q-tips into Mason’s rectum, reportedly in an attempt to relieve constipation, while Detective Wayde Knox of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office testified in court that Alexandrae Price disclosed to police that Williams fed the child extremely spicy foods and also at one time inserted a hose into Mason’s rectum.

On the upper level of the house, police reportedly discovered living conditions similar to those on the lower level, with Tina Price living on the upper half with two adult relatives who have special needs.

Several dogs, cats and one opossum were removed from the home and euthanized, according to court records.

Williams is being held in Simpson County Detention Center under a $1 million cash bond, Tina Price remains jailed under a $50,000 cash bond and Alexandrae Price is in Barren County Corrections Center under a $40,000 cash bond.