Three people face charges after investigators documented hazardous living conditions, alleged abuse and injuries involving 1-year-old Mason Moulding.

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. — The death of 1-year-old Mason Moulding is expected to go before an Allen County grand jury Sept. 23, nearly two months after police found the boy unresponsive and began an investigation that has led to a murder charge against his mother’s boyfriend and criminal-abuse charges against two members of the child’s family.

The coming grand-jury proceeding marks the latest stage of a case that began July 27 at a home on Cottage Drive in Scottsville. Deavan Williams, 22, is charged with murder after initially being arrested on a first-degree criminal-abuse charge involving a child 12 or younger. Mason’s mother, 22-year-old Alexandrae Price, faces a first-degree criminal-abuse charge. Mason’s grandmother, Tina Renee Price, 51, has also been charged with first-degree criminal abuse, along with a charge involving the alleged neglect of an adult and a second-degree cruelty-to-animals charge. The charges are accusations, and the court process has not determined the defendants’ guilt.

Investigators have said the case rests on a combination of statements, physical evidence, witness information and preliminary medical findings. According to court documents reviewed by Kentucky news organizations, Mason was seen alive with his mother at a grocery store during the afternoon of July 27. Alexandrae Price later went to work, leaving the boy in Williams’ care. Williams told investigators that he was Mason’s primary caregiver and the only adult supervising him immediately before the child became unresponsive. Court records say Williams gave investigators differing accounts of what happened before Mason collapsed.

One account attributed to Williams said he had fallen asleep while caring for Mason and that the child consumed part of a soiled diaper before choking. Police documents also describe bruising and bleeding from the child’s mouth when he was taken for medical treatment. Preliminary medical-examiner findings later documented traumatic injuries that investigators said raised concerns about child abuse. The complete medical examiner’s report had not been finished when investigators gave their most recent public update, and authorities have not publicly released a final cause and manner of death.

The murder charge against Williams was added after the initial arrests. On Aug. 3, investigators obtained a warrant after a judge found probable cause based on evidence developed in the case. The warrant alleges that Williams wantonly caused serious physical injury resulting in Mason’s death. Investigators cited his status as the child’s sole caregiver during the critical period, statements they described as inconsistent, evidence from the residence and preliminary medical findings. A probable-cause finding permits a criminal case to proceed but is not a finding that the accused committed the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation has also focused heavily on the conditions inside and around the Cottage Drive residence. Court documents describe a lower-level living area with no running water and poor ventilation. Investigators reported flies, spiders, accumulated trash and other sanitation problems. Mason’s playpen was described as being in an area contaminated by animal waste and other debris. Williams told investigators that water from a garden hose was used to bathe the child because the residence lacked running water. Police have characterized the environment as dangerous and hazardous to a young child.

Investigators allege Williams was aware that Mason repeatedly put unsafe objects in his mouth or tried to consume them. Court documents attribute statements to Williams saying the boy had previously chewed or consumed material from diapers and furniture. Police also allege that Williams intentionally gave Mason very spicy food even after Alexandrae Price told him to stop. Those allegations are among the details investigators cited in arguing that the child’s circumstances involved more than a single accidental emergency on the night of his death.

The case widened in the days after Mason died. Allen County Animal Control went to the Cottage Drive property July 31 and removed three dogs, 12 cats and an opossum, according to police and local news reports. Authorities said many of the animals showed serious signs of neglect and that some were in such poor condition that they were euthanized. Police also said agencies were working to address the welfare of other vulnerable people associated with the residence. Tina Renee Price was arrested that day and accused of criminal abuse involving Mason, neglect involving an adult and cruelty to animals.

Police initially provided few details after responding to the home on July 27. The next day, authorities confirmed that the investigation involved the death of a 1-year-old and announced the arrests of Williams and Alexandrae Price on criminal-abuse charges. Investigators continued collecting surveillance video, interviewing witnesses and seeking information from anyone who had been inside the home or had knowledge of the people living there. They also sought additional search warrants and worked with other agencies on digital evidence taken from cellphones.

By Aug. 12, when Williams appeared in Allen County District Court, court filings had revealed significantly more about the allegations. Investigators said preliminary medical findings showed injuries that were inconsistent with explanations Williams had given them and were concerning for inflicted trauma. Police stressed at the time that the final medical examiner’s work was still underway. They also said further charges or amended charges remained possible as laboratory results, witness interviews and other evidence were completed.

The procedural focus has now moved beyond the initial arrest stage. In a Sept. 10 update, the Allen County-Scottsville Crime Task Force said the case involving Mason was likely to be presented to an Allen County grand jury Sept. 23. A task-force agent said investigators had spoken with the medical examiner’s office and that the medical investigation remained unfinished. The agent said the evidence developed to that point continued to raise concerns about physical abuse and possibly other forms of abuse.

A grand jury does not decide whether a defendant is guilty. It considers evidence presented by prosecutors and determines whether there is sufficient basis for felony charges to proceed in circuit court. The process is generally different from a trial, where prosecutors must prove charges beyond a reasonable doubt and defendants can challenge the government’s case before a judge or jury. Any indictment returned in Mason’s case would represent another charging step rather than a final determination of responsibility.

Several important questions therefore remain unresolved in the public record. Authorities have not released a completed medical examiner’s report, and investigators have not announced a final public account of precisely how Mason died. Court documents describe both the reported choking incident and evidence of traumatic injuries, while investigators have continued to examine whether the child’s death resulted from a broader pattern of abuse and neglect. Police have also said the investigation developed information from witnesses, physical evidence and searches that remained under review.

The Allen County grand jury is expected to consider the case Sept. 23. As of the latest public update, Williams faces a murder charge connected to Mason’s death, while Alexandrae Price and Tina Renee Price face criminal-abuse allegations and Tina Price faces additional charges. Authorities have said the investigation remains evidence-driven and that the medical examiner’s final findings are still important to the case.

Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.