A couple from Florida has been charged with the alleged murder of their 12-year-old son, who was homeschooled and lived predominantly indoors. The boy tragically passed away earlier this year in a state of “severe dehydration” and extreme malnourishment.

Authorities detained Qwentosha Massaquoi, aged 46, and Louis Massaquoi, aged 47, on Wednesday. They face charges of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse in connection with their son’s heartbreaking death, according to court documents.

According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at about 7:36 a.m. on Jan. 27, 2025, responded to a medical assistance call after Louis Massaquoi called 911 and reported that “his son was weak and possibly passed away.” Emergency medical personnel found the boy unresponsive at the home and attempted lifesaving measures but he was ultimately pronounced dead at about 7:57 a.m., police said.

During the investigation, the parents allegedly claimed the child had been “feeling sick over the past few days,” with symptoms that included constipation, vomiting, a hard abdomen, and loss of appetite.

When questioned about why they did not seek medical attention for their son, the Massaquois “claimed that medical treatment was against their religious beliefs,” however, “no specific denomination could be provided,” the affidavit states.

Doctors said the child was “severely dehydrated, malnourished, and extremely emaciated.” An autopsy conducted by the medical examiner similarly determined that the victim “presented with obvious signs of malnourishment and was emaciated with all bones visible.” The autopsy report additionally noted that the child was “only wearing a diaper” at the time of his death.

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A warrant was executed for electronic devices at the residence. Both parents’ cellphones were seized and the contents were downloaded by investigators, which included videos. Review of the footage revealed a series of disturbing and harrowing videos involving the victim’s parents taunting the dehydrated child with water as well as multiple incriminating internet searches about his condition, the affidavit states.

The videos allegedly showed the victim’s father “mocking, taunting, and denying the decedent basic nourishment, such as water, when he asked for it.”

The father could also allegedly be seen “poking at the decedent with stick and making fun of him for wearing diaper.”

“Videos were found of Louis Sr. taunting and making fun of the decedent by saying ‘oh, your thirsty, oh you want water, you always want water,’ another where Louis Sr. makes fun of the decedent for wearing diaper, another where Louis Sr. takes bottle of water from the decedent and says he can’t have it and you can hear the decedent asking for the water,” the affidavit states. “Louis Sr. is also seen mocking the decedent about always being thirsty.”

Investigators wrote that both parents were present when the alleged videos were made, thus “demonstrating that both parents were maliciously torturing, punishing, and mistreating the decedent.”

In addition to the alleged torment videos, investigators also said they found footage showing the victim appearing to be healthy just a few weeks prior to his death.

“Videos were found to show the decedent dancing and speaking, and the decedent appeared to he in good health up until approximately October,” the document says. “After October, the decedent began to look unhealthy due to weight loss and loss of color in his face.”

According to the affidavit, internet searches on one of the parents’ phones showed that in the days leading up to their son’s death, they searched for “unexplained weight loss,” causes for a “distended (swollen) abdomen,” “life insurance needs calculator,” “excessive thirst,” and “urinary incontinence,” among other things.

Searches on the second phone were far more damning, and included inquiries such as “what to do when a child dies” and “what to do when a person dies in Florida,” both of which happened about 10 minutes before the parents called 911, per the affidavit. The call log also showed that the phone placed two calls to a local funeral home at around the same time.

Investigators also learned that in May 2025, the victim’s mother underwent oral surgery and was given a blood transfusion, illustrating that the parents’ claim regarding medical care being inconsistent with their beliefs was false, police said.

The parents are currently being held at the Lee County Jail without bond and are scheduled to appear in court for their arraignment on July 21.