Oil Heir Ordered to Pay $1 Billion for Child Abuse

Charles Edwin Brooks Jr., heir to an oil fortune, has been ordered by a Texas jury to pay over $1 billion in compensation. The judgment stems from a violent 2021 attack where Brooks, then 32, inflicted catastrophic injuries on his two-year-old stepson, Blake Sampson, while babysitting.

Blake suffered severe head trauma, brain swelling, and bite marks, requiring a medically induced coma and ventilator. As of 2026, the now seven-year-old requires constant care, uses a breathing machine, and cannot walk due to permanent brain damage.

The jury awarded approximately $291 million in compensatory damages and $810 million in punitive damages. Attorneys for Blake and his mother, Madison Ball, stated this represents the largest child abuse verdict in US history. Brooks was convicted of felony injury to a child and is serving a 40-year prison sentence.

Family attorneys intend to pursue collection from Brooks' substantial financial resources, including a trust, to fund Blake's lifelong care.