Florida – A Florida woman went on trial this week, accused of first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated mansIaughter of a chiId, aggravated chiId abuse, and chiId negIect with great bodiIy harm in the death of her chiId, Jamison. Prosecutors told the jury they will seek the death penaIty if the defendant is convicted.
The charges stem from an investigation that began in June 2021, when Florida authorities were called to an apartment after the defendant reported that her child had drowned in a bathtub. Officers who responded found the victim with severe injuries and reported bruising on his face and chest. Early statements from investigators and later autopsy results led detectives to conclude the child had not drowned and instead had suffered repeated blunt-force trauma over a period of weeks. The autopsy and medical examiner’s report described the injuries as consistent with battered child syndrome.
Investigators reconstructed the timeline using 911 recordings, surveillance video, text messages and interviews with daycare workers and family members. Police say the defendant initially told responders that the child had drowned and that her boyfriend had a seizure while giving him a bath. Detectives later uncovered messages that prosecutors say show the defendant discussing the child’s injuries with her then-boyfriend and offering explanations to others that did not match the medical evidence. Florida authorities also say footage and witness statements indicate the child suffered injuries over several weeks before his death.
The defendant told Florida authorities at the scene that the child was already unresponsive when she returned home from work and that the boyfriend told her the boy had drowned. Prosecutors, however, say cellphone messages and other records show a different picture: they allege the defendant exchanged texts with the boyfriend about the child’s condition and helped conceal or explain away injuries. The boyfriend, who is charged separately and will be tried later, is accused of physically abusing the child; prosecutors contend the defendant knew about the abuse and failed to protect the victim.
The victim’s father and other family members have expressed grief and called for justice. Local reporting notes that daycare staff and others had seen injuries on the child before his death; several former daycare employees were later charged with failing to report suspected abuse after authorities said they photographed the child’s injuries but did not file a report. Those charges were part of a broader investigation into how multiple agencies and individuals missed opportunities to intervene.
According to the Florida authorities, the victim suffered many serious injuries from long-term abuse. The medical examiner found a broken tooth pushed into his gums, a cut on his jaw, broken bones, a ruptured esophagus, and stab wounds to his head. He also had swelling, bruises, and signs of trauma when officers arrived.
The defendant told police she left for work that morning and later got a call from her then-partner, J. Mans, saying the child was not well. An hour later the man told her the child was dead or drowning. She called 911 while driving home and found the child unresponsive on the bathroom floor.
The man left the apartment before Florida authorities arrived and was later arrested. He left a note claiming he had a seizure while bathing the child, then woke up to find him dead in the water. He said he tried CPR but it did not work.
Investigators found children’s TyIenoI bottles and makeshift cold compresses in the apartment, suggesting the boy was treated at home instead of at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled the child died from cardiac arrest and found no sign of drowning.
DCF had looked into the family before. Two years before he died, the child broke his leg in an unexplained event, and he broke it again the same year he was killed. Both times adults gave accounts that were later doubted by medical staff. The boy also had visible injuries on his face seen at daycare before his death.
The mother’s partner often said the child did not use the toilet, hit him, head-butted, or bit him. This led to punishments. The mother knew and sent texts showing support, thanking the man for dealing with the child. In one case the man said the boy was in big trouble and losing control. The mother replied that he was a jerk and should be put to bed with no fun. In their texts, they showed care for each other while calling the child names like jerk or worse. The man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 3-year-old child and will be tried separately from the defendant. There is no trial date set for him yet.
The trial is ongoing. Prosecutors said during opening statements that the victim endured significant pain and abuse in the weeks before his death, and they asked jurors to hold accountable anyone who failed to protect him. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Court proceedings will continue as witnesses and evidence are presented to the jury.