On the evening of April 12, 2022, law enforcement was dispatched to Odette Joassaint's home in the Little River area of Miami-Dade County, Florida, where they discovered her two children — Laura Belval, age 5, and Jeffery Belval, age 3 — deceased. The cause of death for both children was ligature strangulation. Joassaint reportedly told officers to take the children because she didn't 'want them anymore' and admitted to tying them up and choking them with a thin red ribbon, stating she believed they were better off dead. Surveillance video captured Joassaint pacing in front of her apartment before police arrived. The family had been involved in seven prior DCF investigations since 2017 involving domestic violence, mental health concerns, and medical neglect of an older sibling. Joassaint had a documented history of refusing mental health treatment, distrusting government agencies, and declining services. At the time of the murders, an open DCF investigation (received March 20, 2022) was still in progress, and the family was open to case management services following the removal of an older sibling. Joassaint was arrested and later found mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states the "cause of death for both children was ligature strangulation." The Miami New Times article reports that the mother "admitted to tying them up and choking them with a thin red ribbon." The Local10 article states "Police found the children dead inside of the home, face down and tied up in a bed." These constitute deliberate inflicted injury (choking/strangulation).
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The fatality report states that in the December 2021 investigation, the mother "refused to allow the hospital to provide treatment and medication" for a sibling, and the investigation was "closed with verified findings of medical neglect." The CPT also made a recommendation regarding medical neglect during a 2020 investigation.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report states: "the mother, Odette Joassaint, was arrested" following the discovery of the children deceased. The Miami New Times article reports she "admitted to tying them up and choking them with a thin red ribbon, saying she believed they were better off dead." Odette Joassaint is the biological mother of both Laura and Jeffery.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report documents an extensive history of child protection reports: "Since 2017, the family has been involved in seven investigations, with allegations of domestic violence between the mother and the father of the deceased victims, potential sexual abuse of substance misuse by the mother, concerns for mental health." The report details investigations in 2017, 2019 (two), 2020 (two), 2021 (two), and March 2022, all prior to the April 12 deaths.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report states: "the mother, Odette Joassaint, was arrested." The Local10 article confirms: "A 41-year-old South Florida mother was arrested last month, accused in the killings of her two young children." The Miami New Times article adds that "Joassaint remains in state custody after a Miami court found her mentally incompetent to stand trial."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Domestic violence is extensively documented throughout the case. The fatality report details multiple DV-related investigations: in 2017, "an argument between the parents escalating with both becoming combative"; in February 2019, "the father was arrested for becoming violent with the mother and punching her several times in the head"; and in March 2022, "the mother and father engaged in an argument in front of the children. It escalated into the father striking the mother four times." The Local10 article also notes the DV history: "it was an abusive relationship."
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The mother's mental health is referenced extensively. The fatality report notes "concerns for mental health" as an allegation category and states CWIST "recommended the mother receive a psychiatric re-evaluation" and "individual therapy for her DV history." The Miami New Times article reports the mother "suffered delusions" and had untreated mental health problems. The Local10 article states DCF received allegations that the mother "has not been taking her depression medication...She has been having delusional thoughts. She has been acting bizarre." The mother was ultimately found "mentally incompetent to stand trial" per the Miami New Times article.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple prior arrests/charges are documented. The fatality report states that in 2017, "Law enforcement determined the mother was the primary aggressor, and she was arrested." In February 2019, "the father was arrested for becoming violent with the mother." The Miami New Times article reports that in "November 2017...she was charged with battery for biting Belval on the arm." The fatality report also references "the father's arrest in 2012 for aggravated battery on a pregnant woman." All of these predate the fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report references substance misuse in its summary of allegations: "potential sexual abuse of substance misuse by the mother." Additionally, the July 2021 investigation "alleged the mother was providing [redacted sibling] with alcohol," and the investigation was "closed with no indicators of substance misuse." Although the allegations were unsubstantiated, substance use/misuse by the parent is explicitly referenced as a topic of investigation.
Notable Details
Several substantive systemic and procedural issues are detailed. The fatality report identifies a critical gap: "there was no ongoing assessment completed by the child welfare professionals to address the siblings, who were not part of the dependency action," meaning Laura and Jeffery were not assessed despite their older sibling's removal. The CPI had 34 active investigations, above the recommended average, and staff reported that "caseload and shortage of staff caused additional strain on their daily duties" and they had "to rush through initial and follow-up supervisory staffings." The report also found a systemic "disconnect between linking the family with services versus referring them to services." The Miami New Times article reports that the day after the murders, "DCF obliviously entered a note for Joassaint's case stating that the toddlers were 'in no present danger,'" and two days later, a clinical coordinator made a note to follow up to "see if the mother did a psych evaluation." The father, Frantzy Belval, filed a lawsuit against DCF and Citrus Family Care Network, and Joassaint was found mentally incompetent to stand trial. The mother also reportedly threatened child protective investigators with Voodoo.
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