Child Dies 10 Years After Abuse, Parents May Face New Charges

Oklahoma City Police say an 11-year-old child who suffered a horrible brain injury due to abuse a decade ago has died.

Now his parents, who are both serving prison time for the abuse, may be facing even more charges and more prison time.

Police identify the boy as Blake Johnson, who died on May 18. The medical examiner's office is yet to release the cause and manner of death.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections website, his mother Windi Johnson is scheduled to be released in late January. Johnson was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to enabling child abuse, but was only ordered to serve 10 years.

Blake's father, Cory McGalliard, is serving a life prison term after pleading guilty to child neglect. He was originally facing a charge of child abuse but refused to plead guilty to that since he claims he did not hurt Blake or cause his injuries.

5/21/15 Related Story: OKC Police Investigate Homicide After Abused Child Dies 10 Years Later

Court papers state McGalliard also has a criminal history for an arrest in March of 2001 out of Illinois for Child Endangerment and Child Neglect. They state his other biological son who was 4-years-old suffered a spiral fracture but the state of Illinois did not pursue criminal charges.

Right now, the District Attorney's office in Oklahoma County has not even been presented the case on Blake Johnson's death since it's still in the hands of homicide detectives. But the Oklahoma City Police Department is calling it a homicide.

The former judge who sentenced the couple called them horrible parents back in 2008. Windi Johnson is scheduled to be released from prison in January of 2016. But now that their son has died, they may end up facing even more time behind bars.

“There is no statute of limitations when it comes to murder,” said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Court papers state back on January 25, 2005, both Windi and Cory said they were home at their apartment off 89th and South Drexel, when they noticed something was wrong with their 11-month-old son Blake. They eventually called 911.

When police came to investigate, they found dried blood on a pillow and pillow case inside the crib as well as a smear of blood located on the door to his bedroom. They also found blood on quilts and tissues in the living room.

“The parents gave varying stories but basically tried to pass the injuries off to someone else,” said Wardlow. “There was a family member who had been watching the young child. There was reportedly a daycare this child went to and it seems that the parents were trying to put these injuries off on one of those individuals.”

Court records state Blake suffered a fracture to the back of his skull, and had severe bleeding and swelling to the brain and eyes. He also suffered a massive stroke. Doctors had to remove a third of his brain.

At that time baby Blake was given a 50/50 chance of survival.

“It's our understanding that for the past 10 years since 2005 this child has never fully recovered has been in some sort of a long term care facility,” said Wardlow.