Man Pleads Not Guilty in Stepdaughter’s Death

A Lake Los Angeles man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the beating death of his 4-year-old stepdaughter.

In the same proceeding in Lancaster Municipal Court on Monday, the girl’s mother pleaded not guilty to child abuse.

William Sherman Welshans, 24, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Welshans, 23, are charged in the Oct. 24 death of Christine Blalock, 4. They remained free on bail of $6,000 and $3,000, respectively.

A preliminary hearing on the charges was set for Jan. 3.

William Welshans was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after his wife returned home, found her daughter’s body and called authorities, according to court documents.

Welshans first told investigators he believed Christine was fatally injured when she fell from a woodpile at the couple’s home in the rural eastern Antelope Valley. However, Welshans admitted to beating the girl with his fists on the day of her death and during the previous three days, according to court documents.

Welshans told investigators he did not mean to kill the girl and said he did not take her to a hospital because he feared the abuse would be discovered, the documents said. He told investigators he was under stress because of marital and financial problems.

The murder charge was filed last week based on a coroner’s report and investigators’ findings.

Welshans’ $6,000 bail was set and paid before the murder charge was filed. Prosecutors decided not to raise the amount because Welshans does not appear to be a threat to the community and because the charge will probably be second-degree murder or manslaughter rather than first-degree murder, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen L. Cooley. The degree and type of murder has not yet been specified, he said.

Welshans also is charged with child abuse.

Mary Welshans told investigators she left for work on the day of her daughter’s death, although she knew that the youngster was ill and that Welshans had beaten the girl, as well as his 5-year-old stepson and the couple’s 19-month-old daughter, according to the court documents. She said she returned home to find Christine dead and Welshans asleep in another room.

William Welshans’ stepson, who is Mary’s son, and the couple’s daughter have been placed in foster care homes, authorities said.