Dioblis Williams pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child endangering after authorities said he falsely claimed the toddler drowned.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man has been sentenced to 13 to 18 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty in the 2020 death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son, a case authorities said was initially reported as an accidental bathtub drowning.
Dioblis Williams, 26, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering children in the death of Ja’Mir Camren Dasean Jones. Williams had previously faced a murder charge. The sentencing closes a criminal case that stretched more than six years from the boy’s death in Columbus to Williams’ arrest in Massachusetts and return to Ohio.
Columbus police responded to a home in the 2200 block of Holt Avenue at about 2:04 p.m. on March 25, 2020, after receiving a report that a child had drowned. Officers found Ja’Mir unresponsive and began lifesaving efforts before medics took him to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office said the boy was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m.
Investigators later determined that Ja’Mir had not drowned. An autopsy found that he died from blunt force trauma to his abdomen, and authorities ruled the death a homicide. Investigators also documented bruising on the child’s face, torso and neck. Medical findings cited in reporting on the case showed that his lungs did not contain evidence consistent with the drowning account given to police.
According to an affidavit reviewed by local news organizations, Williams was caring for Ja’Mir while the boy’s mother was away. Investigators alleged that Williams repeatedly struck the toddler after the child had an accident in his diaper. Authorities said the injuries caused Ja’Mir’s death. Williams then placed the child in a bathtub and told responding officers that the boy had drowned, according to the investigative account.
Body camera footage from the initial police response showed Williams speaking with officers as they investigated the reported drowning. Detectives became skeptical of that account as medical evidence emerged. The case remained unresolved publicly for years before authorities obtained a murder warrant and began searching for Williams outside Ohio.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Williams was located in Framingham, Massachusetts, on Aug. 27, 2025. Federal authorities said a fugitive task force had been asked to help find him after investigators learned he might be staying in the area. A Framingham police officer spotted a person who appeared to match Williams’ description while officers were preparing for a briefing connected to the search.
Authorities said Williams was wearing a wig when officers recognized him. He was arrested on a fugitive warrant and held in Massachusetts pending extradition to Ohio. The U.S. Marshals Service said the arrest came within eight days of the homicide warrant being issued and involved cooperation among federal, Massachusetts and Ohio law enforcement agencies.
After his return to Columbus, the case moved toward a negotiated resolution rather than a murder trial. Williams pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering children, reducing his potential exposure from the original murder allegation. Local news outlets reported that he received an indefinite prison term requiring him to serve at least 13 years, with a maximum term of 18 1/2 years under Ohio’s sentencing structure.
The sentence marks the latest and likely final major court development in a case that began with what police were told was a drowning and ended with a homicide conviction through Williams’ guilty plea. Ja’Mir was 2 years old when he died. Williams will remain in state custody while serving the prison term imposed in Franklin County.
Author note: Last updated August 9, 2026.