A mother in the United States has been sentenced to more than three decades in prison after her teenage son died from severe malnutrition, weighing less than a typical seven-year-old child.
A 'Cruel' and 'Heartless' Case of Neglect
Talia Nelson, 45, received a 32-year prison sentence after entering a no-contest plea to charges of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse. Her son, 14-year-old Zakye Smith-Nelson, was found unresponsive at the family home in Daytona Beach, Florida, on 1 January 2024.
At the time of his tragic death, Zakye weighed a mere 33 pounds (approximately 15 kilograms). This is drastically below the normal weight range of 110 to 120 pounds for a boy of his age. The medical examiner concluded he had become so severely malnourished that he was losing bone density.
Fabricated Illnesses and a Home in Disarray
In a bid to explain her son's shocking condition, Nelson told investigators he suffered from a rare bone disorder, bulimia, and lactose intolerance. However, she could not provide the names of any doctors who had diagnosed these alleged conditions.
Authorities discovered that Zakye had not seen a doctor since he was 10 years old, when medical notes described him as well-nourished and in no distress. A search of the family home revealed one bedroom filled with soiled, urine-smelling clothes and no furniture, while unopened laptops intended for homeschooling were found in the master bedroom.
The teenager's body showed facial bruising and scarring on his torso, back, and legs, injuries consistent with being struck by a long, flexible object. He was also covered in bedsores, indicating prolonged immobility.
'Scooting on His Butt' and a Mother's Admission
Nelson told police that in his final weeks, Zakye was so weak he could not walk and would 'scoot on his butt' to move around the house. She admitted giving him protein shakes but claimed he would make himself vomit afterwards.
Despite his drastic deterioration, Nelson confessed she had 'dropped the ball' by failing to seek medical attention for her son. She denied, however, that she had neglected him.
State Attorney R. J. Larizza described Nelson as 'cruel' and 'heartless'. In a powerful statement, he said: 'It is incomprehensible for a mother to neglect and torture her own flesh and blood to the extent we uncovered in this case. How could she watch her son suffer for weeks and months and years until he weighed less than a typical seven-year-old child?'
The court's lengthy sentence brings a form of justice for Zakye, whose short life was marked by unimaginable suffering at the hands of the person meant to protect him.
