Inset, left to right: Nathaniel Davis and Zayla Goodwin (Jacksonville County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Location on Taurus Circle N. where Davis is alleged to have killed Goodwin’s daughter (Google Maps).

In Florida, a 20-year-old mother and her 23-year-old boyfriend stand accused of the brutal killing of the woman’s 22-month-old daughter, who was allegedly beaten to death.

Authorities announced the arrests of Zayla Goodwin and Nathaniel Davis last week, charging them in connection with the death of young Zamora Foe. Davis faces charges including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, tampering with evidence, and two counts of sexual battery. Goodwin is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

According to a news release from the Jacksonville County Sheriff’s Office, deputies on Sept. 10, 2024, responded to a call about a medical emergency involving a young child at a home on Taurus Circle N. in southwest Jacksonville, which is about 140 miles north of Orlando.

Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located the child and rushed him to Wolfson Children’s Hospital where the medical team allegedly discovered that the toddler had suffered “multiple injuries.”

“Tragically, on September 18, the child passed away. Months later, on December 4, 2024, the death was officially ruled a homicide,” the release states. “The Medical Examiner found the child died of blunt force trauma and had methamphetamine in their system.”

The couple were initially arrested on neglect charges in September 2024. The charges were upgraded based on the evidence uncovered during the investigation.

“The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will work with the State Attorney’s Office to get the harshest punishment possible for this heinous crime against an innocent child. Children are our community’s most precious asset,” the office said in a statement.