3 charged with aggravated manslaughter, child abuse after infant dies of starvation
07/28/2026 7:15 pm PDT
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) -- Three people have been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter and child abuse after an investigation determined that a 3-month-old infant in their care died from malnutrition and dehydration.
On July 24, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of the child’s mother, 27-year-old Nicole Maxwell; the child’s grandfather, 61-year-old Robert Maxwell; and 38-year-old Vikki Koon, Robert Maxwell’s girlfriend.
The investigation began in August 2025 when Robert Maxwell and Koon brought the infant to the emergency room, according to the sheriff’s office. A probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime states the infant showed signs of severe neglect and rigor mortis had already set in when he arrived at the hospital.
The infant’s cause of death was ruled to be dehydration and malnutrition and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, per the sheriff’s office.
According to court documents obtained by WPTV, the infant allegedly lived with Robert Maxwell and Koon. Nicole Maxwell reportedly lived with her boyfriend and the infant’s father lived out of state.
Robert Maxwell allegedly sent a Facebook message to the baby’s father shortly before the child’s death that read, “I guess nobody gives a f--- about this baby… It just seems like I give a f---. Ya’ll should never had a baby… I’m not the father, so I can’t take him to the hospital. There’s something wrong. All he does is sleep,” Law & Crime reports.
The court documents allege Koon fed the infant twice a day and reportedly gave him a mix of watered-down milk and cereal when she ran out of formula.
Nicole Maxwell’s other children also lived in the home, which was described as having boarded-up windows, exposed wiring, and cockroaches throughout, per the court documents. A neighbor of the family told WPTV that she often saw the children outside, asking her for water.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jennifer Diaz told WPTV, “In my 20 years of law enforcement, this is one of the worst cases I’ve ever worked.”
The defendants are each being held on $1.5 million bond, according to the sheriff’s office. WPTV reports Nicole Maxwell’s other children are in foster care.
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