The sounds of Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh songs floated through the All Faith Memorial Chapel in South Windsor on Wednesday as family and friends said their final goodbyes to 2-year-old Corneliuz “Papa” Shand Williams, who died last month after falling from a third-floor window in his family’s Hartford apartment.
The boy’s four older sisters, each dressed in a Minnie Mouse-style dress, approached the tiny white casket that sat at the front of the chapel, adorned with red, yellow and white flowers. Inside lay their baby brother, dressed in a red shirt, a white hat and white sunglasses.
“We’re going to see Corneliuz,” said the boy’s 4-year-old sister, Bella, as she placed her hands on the shoulders of the family’s now youngest sibling, 3-year-old Zendaya, and guided her toward the altar, where she waved goodbye.
Corneliuz’s four sisters had been home alone with their brother while their mother, Tabitha Frank, was working on the afternoon of July 22, according to Frank, who is facing criminal charges in connection to her son’s death, and her attorney Wesley Spears.
Mother of toddler who fatally fell from Hartford window charged with manslaughter
Frank was allegedly driving for Uber and the boy’s father was supposed to be arriving shortly to watch the children, Frank has said. It was an arrangement they had played out dozens of times, she said.
But the boy’s father was allegedly late that Saturday and Corneliuz, known affectionately as “Papa” by his family, fell head first from the window and landed on the concrete below, records show.
Frank was charged with 10 counts counts of risk of injury to a minor that day and was later with first-degree manslaughter in connection to her son’s death. In a police report, officers described “deplorable” conditions in the family’s home, claims that Frank and her family have spoken out against.
Frank cried mournfully Wednesday as she bid farewell to her only son at his memorial, her many family members in attendance wrapping their arms around her in comfort. She held tightly to his baby blanket, blue fleece with stars and Mickey Mouse, before the services began.
Frank asked the public last week for help paying for a funeral for her young son, which she could not afford. More than 300 people donated nearly $17,000, surpassing the sum the family said they needed for a bare-minimum burial for the boy.
Hartford mother pleads for help to bury 2-year-old son who died after falling from window
When Frank spoke publicly in Pope Park last week, she said she had just under a week to raise $5,500 to avoid cremating her son, which would go against her own beliefs, she said.
As Frank approached the casket on Wednesday, stopping several times to catch her breath, her cousin David Perry clutched her hand tightly.
Outside the funeral home, Perry said their family was immensely thankful for all of the donations that poured in.
“We are very grateful for all involved who allowed this transition to take place. It wouldn’t be possible without everyone who chipped in, so it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed,” he said.
The support that flooded into the GoFundMe fundraiser gave Frank a moment to breathe, he said, and allowed her “to bury her son the way she wanted to.”
Frank’s cousin, Nathan Harrison, broke down in tears, saying it was heartwarming to see Frank reunited with her daughters at the funeral.
The four girls, all 12 and younger, were taken into custody the day Corneliuz died, removed from Frank’s care by the state Department of Children and Families. They have been living safely with family members, according to DCF.
Memorial pages handed out at the services described Corneliuz as a little boy who loved Mickey Mouse and eating pasta.
“He was just a happy kid, nothing about him was sad. He was always happy, he loved to have fun. He loved his sisters,” said Perry.
His mother said he loved to play with his sisters and that the day before he died, all her children had fun playing outside and eating ice cream.
“He loved music, dancing, cleaning, he was so small yet so brave,” his family wrote in his memorial. “Very protective of all the ladies in his life, especially his mommy.”
Corneliuz, his mother said, was a premature baby who fought to survive. He had an old soul even at such a young age, she said, earning him his nickname. In several photos shared by his family, Corneliuz wore a suit with suspenders and a bowtie.
Wednesday’s services were led by Pastor Samuel Saylor, who has accompanied the family to Frank’s court appearances.
Saylor asked everyone who had the chance to meet Corneliuz to think of the funniest and happiest memory Corneliuz infused in their lives, encouraging them to smile and laugh as they remembered it.
As people laughed softly and whispered to one another, Saylor said “that signifies that his life was not without purpose, because not everyone can make you smile, not everyone makes you (laugh).”
“Even in his short life, he was able to minister to your life,” Saylor said.
Saylor also gave family members an opportunity to speak, many of whom looked at Frank and told her to remember that she is a good mother.
“I love you and you’re a great mother. I know that because your kids love you and they love each other. You’re a great mother, I want you to know that,” said her sister Paige Williams.
Frank was released from custody on a $100,000 bond the morning of July 24, just hours before Corneliuz died at a hospital.
She was charged after officers reported “uninhabitable” conditions in the home, including insects, spoiled food and feces. A DCF social worker who responded to the home removed Frank’s four daughters and brought them to a hospital where they were evaluated and released.
Frank and her family have denied allegations that the conditions of her home were unsafe or neglectful. Frank has said repeatedly that her house was messy because she was trying to care for five kids on her own during the summer break.
Her son’s death was a heartbreaking mistake, she said.
DCF said that they had an open case with Frank that was on the verge of being closed when Corneliuz died. Their last contact with the family was in mid-June, when it was determined that “further child protection services involvement was not warranted,” according to DCF.
The department said it had 18 prior reports on the family and only on one occasion were conditions present in Frank’s home that met the statutory criteria of physical neglect.
In Connecticut, there is no minimum age that a child can be left alone in their home, but parents are urged to consider their children’s maturity, ability to handle caretaking responsibilities and myriad other factors outlined in DCF guidelines before deciding to leave their children home without an adult.
Frank last appeared in court in Hartford on Aug. 10. She is scheduled to appear in court next in Hartford on Sept. 12, records show.
