Aunt Charged with Murder of 4-Year-Old

A 31-year-old woman, Vanity Rubystine Williams, has been charged with the murder of her four-year-old niece following preliminary autopsy results. Williams was initially arrested for felony child abuse after the child was found dead in her care at their home in Kannapolis on November 19. After consulting with the District Attorney's Office and reviewing the autopsy findings, police upgraded the charges to first-degree murder. Williams is currently held without bond and is scheduled to appear in Cabarrus County Superior Court on November 25. The police have not disclosed any further details about the circumstances surrounding the child's death. The case remains under investigation as the community grapples with the tragic incident.