Florida mom gets life in prison for 10-year-old son’s ‘torture,’ death

A Lake County mom was sentenced to life in jail Wednesday after pleading no contest to what police referred to as the horrific abuse and “torture” of her younger son that led to his demise final yr.

Kimberley Leonie Mills, 38, of Tavares, was discovered responsible of first-degree homicide and aggravated little one abuse fees within the demise of her son Xavier Williams, 10, and the abuse of her youngest son as a part of a take care of prosecutors. The deal allowed her to keep away from the demise penalty, which prosecutors had sought.

The harrowing case that shocked Central Florida started final February when Mills and her boyfriend, Andre Dwayne Walker, 37, took Xavier to a Tavares hospital in cardiac arrest whereas Mills resuscitated him within the automotive. They fled once they heard that medical personnel had referred to as the police, however each had been later arrested.

Xavier was within the hospital for nearly a month earlier than dying from his accidents. Courtroom information present that medical personnel discovered bruises — together with “extreme” bruises on his face — in addition to burns and indicators of sexual abuse on his physique. The kid was additionally bleeding internally.

His youthful brother, who was eight on the time, informed police that Mills and Walker punished the boys by hitting them with a brass bar, hitting them with boxing gloves, tying them by their wrists and ankles to a channel desk ladder and dropping a 10-pound weight on their stomachs.

Keniel Williams, the boys’ father, spoke by means of tears in the course of the listening to whereas sporting a shirt with a photograph of his youngsters. He described how troublesome life has been since Xavier’s demise.

“I am having sleepless nights. I’ve photos of the household that I can not delete from my cellphone, that is simply not potential,” he stated. “It is very onerous to take care of, it’s totally onerous to even operate at work. It is onerous to reside with out him generally.”

Williams started to sob and needed to depart the courtroom briefly.

Morris Carranza, Mills’ lawyer, informed the courtroom on her behalf that she loves her youngsters and accepted the plea deal to keep away from re-traumatizing her youngest son in case he was referred to as to testify towards her at her trial.

The boys’ aunt, Cameil Williams, would have most well-liked that Mills obtain the demise penalty, however agreed that the plea deal was the most suitable choice in the very best pursuits of Xavier’s youthful brother. Nevertheless, she was outraged by Carranza’s assertion about Mills and her youngsters.

“How dare you. Of all of the issues you might say. Are you going to say you’re keen on your son? You are alive and he is useless,” she stated after the listening to.

Williams stated the second is bittersweet for her household because the authorized proceedings towards Mills and Walker are solely midway by means of. She stated she was involved about Walker’s ongoing trial and the ache it might deliver.

Walker faces the identical first-degree homicide and aggravated little one abuse fees as Mills, with the kid abuse fees regarding accidents inflicted on each youngsters.

Mills should testify towards Walker if she is known as to take action as a part of her plea deal.

Prosecutors are additionally in search of the demise penalty in his case. No trial date has been set.

Courtney Sullivan, a detective with the Tavares Police Division, had stated the abuse case was the worst within the division’s historical past. Issues appeared to have escalated round Christmas 2024, she stated, when Mills and Walker began relationship.

Sullivan stated Mills was “methodical” and “meticulous” in masking up the abuse by controlling what the boys would say or put on in school, together with making Xavier put on long-sleeved shirts to cover marks or bruises. Courtroom information present the accidents included burns that had been “lengthy in form as if one thing scorching was positioned on…pores and skin.”

Neither neighbors nor workers at Xavier Williams’ college suspected the 10-year-old was being abused. Nobody knew what was happening till Xavier arrived at Introduction Well being Waterman in February.

“She scared these youngsters into not speaking to anybody concerning the abuse,” Sullivan stated.

Mills additionally “remoted” the boys of Keniel Williams, who lives in Connecticut, by taking away telephones and stopping them from speaking to their father.

Williams got here to Florida after authorities informed him Xavier had been hospitalized and stayed at his bedside all the time the kid was within the hospital, police stated. The youthful brother is now beneath his care.