Left: Zakye Smith-Nelson (Baldwin Brothers Funeral Home). Right: Talia Nelson (Volusia County Jail).
A Florida woman has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison after being convicted of neglect, abuse, and the tragic death of her 14-year-old son, who weighed a mere 33 pounds at the time of his death.
Talia Nelson, 45, entered a plea of no contest on Monday to charges of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse in connection with the death of her son, Zakye Smith-Nelson. Following her plea, a judge handed down a 32-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.
During the investigation, Nelson attempted to attribute her son’s severe condition to a rare bone disease, lactose intolerance, and bulimia. However, authorities discovered that she had not taken him to a doctor for nearly four years. Additionally, the boy exhibited fresh bruises on his face and scars on his torso, back, and legs.
“This case deeply moved me when I witnessed the state of our teenage victim,” commented State Attorney R.J. Larizza in a statement. “It is unfathomable for a mother to neglect and torment her own child to such an extreme degree. How could she stand by as her son suffered for so long, ultimately weighing less than a typical 7-year-old? The words heartless and cruel come to mind. May he rest in peace, and may she be forever haunted by her heinous actions.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the average weight for a 14-year-old boy typically ranges from 110 to 120 pounds, highlighting the severity of Zakye’s condition.
As reported by Law&Crime, officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to an emergency call at Nelson’s residence on Carolina Lake Drive on January 1, 2024, at 8:02 p.m. The call was regarding an unconscious juvenile, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Upon arrival, first responders were met by Nelson, who claimed she was preparing dinner when she found her son unconscious on the floor.
Officers at the scene reportedly noted that the child “appeared to be extremely malnourished, weighing only 33 pounds” and had what appeared to be bedsores running up the side of his body. Nelson explained the boy’s emaciated appearance by telling police that Zakye was bulimic, lactose intolerant, and lived with a rare bone disease. However, Nelson could not identify the names of any doctors who had diagnosed her son with those ailments.
A search of the home reportedly revealed that one of three bedrooms contained no furniture, only soiled clothing and what smelled like “stale urine,” police said. In the main bedroom, officers found laptops issued for the purpose of homeschooling that were still in the boxes and appeared to have never been opened.
An autopsy determined that Zakye was “severely malnourished” to the point that he had been losing bone density, per the report. The boy also had scars on his legs and torso that the medical examiner said were consistent with being struck by a long, flexible object. Bedsores reportedly covered the boy’s body, indicating that he likely couldn’t move much on his own and would not have been able to cause the marks on his own.
It was ultimately determined that his manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was abuse and neglect, local NBC affiliate WESH reported.
“At 33 pounds, the kid probably couldn’t even walk,” Jimmie Flynt of the Daytona Beach Police Department told the station.
In an interview with police, Nelson reportedly claimed that her son would make himself vomit, so she gave him protein shakes in the hope he would start gaining weight. She also allegedly conceded that she had “dropped the ball” by failing to seek medical attention for the starving boy, particularly because he had been unable to walk on his own for several weeks. However, Nelson did note that to get around, the 14-year-old would “scoot on his butt,” per the report.
Nelson reportedly told police that she did not neglect her son.
Medical records subpoenaed by authorities showed that Zakye had not seen a doctor since he was 10 years old. However, at that time, the boy was reportedly healthy, with doctors indicating that he had good vitals, was well-nourished, and showed no signs of concern regarding his growth or development.
“This is a well-nourished, well-developed patient, in no apparent distress,” the doctor who examined Zakye in 2020 reportedly wrote in the boy’s medical records.
