Styron's 11-month-old son Lee Hollace died as a result of subdural hemorrhaging due to trauma to the head. The fatal injuries were the culmination of a long pattern of abusive behavior, including punching him in the face, dunking him in ice water, squeezing him hard enough to break his ribs, and shaking him hard enough to cause retinal hemorrhages. The victim's older injuries included at least 10 broken bones. Styron also stuffed tape into the child's mouth to quiet him and palmed the child's head like a basketball, thus dangling the child like a puppet. Styron's last meal request was for a Mexican platter with all the works, two classic Cokes, pickles, olives, and Cookies and Cream ice cream.