Florida mom gets 32 years in prison for death of son who weighed 33 pounds at age 14

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (TCN) -- A woman will spend 32 years behind bars for aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse in connection with the death of her son in January 2024. 

On Jan. 5, the 7^th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office announced Talia Nelson, 45, entered no-contest pleas to the charges and was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the neglect, abuse, and death of her 14-year-old son, Zayke Smith-Nelson. 

Officers responding to a call about an unconscious child on Jan. 1, 2024, discovered Smith-Nelson unresponsive on the floor, Law & Crime reports. Nelson reportedly told authorities she was cooking dinner when her son fell.

He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The autopsy revealed the cause of death to be homicide, WOFL reports. Nelson was arrested and booked into jail on Feb. 9, 2024.

At the time of his death, Smith-Nelson weighed 33 pounds and suffered from severe malnutrition and dehydration, according to the state attorney’s office. His body was covered in scars and bruises. Law & Crime reports he had bedsores on his body, indicating that he was unable to move much on his own. 

Officers searching the home discovered boxes of unopened homeschooling materials and a room that smelled of urine and contained no furniture, only soiled clothing, Law & Crime reports. 

During the investigation by the Daytona Beach Police Department, Nelson said her son had a rare bone disease and was lactose-intolerant and bulimic, according to the state attorney’s office. The investigation showed the child had not seen a doctor since June 2020. 

Nelson said she could not remember the names of the doctors who diagnosed her son with the diseases, Law & Crime reports. In 2020, the doctor said Smith-Nelson had been in good health and was well-nourished at that time.

“It is incomprehensible for a mother to neglect and torture her own flesh and blood to the extent we uncovered in this case,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said.

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