Whitehall's mother, who killed her 9-month-old daughter, is charged

A Whitehall mother accused of killing her nine-month-old daughter has been formally charged over her death.

A Franklin County grand jury on Wednesday indicted 21-year-old Charity Dreyer on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and child endangerment.

Dreyer is accused of causing fatal injuries to her 9-month-old daughter, A'Riya Williams, and injuring her 23-month-old child.

Whitehall police received a call from a residence in the 3900 block of Beechbank Road at approximately 8:40 p.m. on September 23 about an unresponsive baby. Officers found A'Riya not breathing, and she was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where she later died.

An autopsy conducted by the Franklin County Coroner's Office revealed that A'Riya had a fractured skull, bruising to the head and signs of abdominal bleeding from an injury several days old.

The 23-month-old girl showed physical signs of torture and abuse, including a broken arm and injuries to the toddler's head and neck, according to court documents.

Dreyer has been in the Franklin County Jail since her arrest in September on unrelated charges. Her next court date is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

[email protected]