On the evening of April 12, 2022, law enforcement responded to 911 calls from Odette Joassaint at her apartment in the Little River area of Miami-Dade County, Florida, and found her two children — five-year-old Laura Belval and three-year-old Jeffery Belval — 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, admitted to tying them up and choking them with a thin red ribbon, and stated she believed they were better off dead. The family had been involved with DCF since 2017 across seven investigations involving domestic violence, mental health concerns, and other issues. Despite multiple referrals for mental health and support services, the mother consistently refused to engage. At the time of the children's deaths, a March 2022 investigation into domestic violence between the parents was still open and had been active for 24 days. 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 clearly describe inflicted injuries — the children were choked/strangled.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The fatality report states regarding the December 2021 investigation: "the investigation was closed with verified findings of medical neglect." This concerned the mother refusing to allow the hospital to provide treatment and medication to a sibling. The mother "continued to disregard the need for treatment and refused any assistance or services."
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 that "the mother, Odette Joassaint, was arrested" after the children were found deceased. The Miami New Times article states 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 identified as the biological mother of both Laura and Jeffery Belval.
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 states: "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 [redacted], substance misuse by the mother, concerns for [redacted] mental health and a single report with concerns for the mother's mental health." The report then details investigations in 2017, 2019 (two), 2020 (two), and 2021 (two), all prior to the children's 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 further notes: "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 between the parents is extensively documented across multiple sources. The fatality report describes multiple investigations involving DV: a 2017 incident where the mother bit the father and was arrested, a February 2019 incident where the father was arrested for punching the mother, and the March 2022 incident where the father allegedly struck the mother four times. The report states: "allegations of domestic violence between the mother and the father of the deceased victims." The Local10 article confirms: "The state records regarding Joassaint, her children and their father go back to 2017... The records show 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 extensively referenced across all documents. The fatality report notes "a single report with concerns for the mother's mental health" and that CWIST clinicians "recommended the mother receive a psychiatric re-evaluation" and "individual therapy for her DV history." The Local10 article reports DCF received allegations that the mother "has not been taking her depression medication. There is a concern for her ongoing ability to care for the children. She has been having delusional thoughts. She has been acting bizarre." The Miami New Times article states she "suffered delusions, and was behaving erratically" and that "Joassaint was found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial after undergoing a court-monitored psychiatric evaluation." The mother also reportedly told officers she believed the children "were better off dead."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report documents multiple prior arrests: in 2017, "Law enforcement determined the mother was the primary aggressor, and she was arrested." In 2019, "the father was arrested for becoming violent with the mother and punching her several times in the head." The report also references "the father's arrest in 2012 for aggravated battery on a pregnant woman." The Miami New Times article confirms: "she was charged with battery for biting Belval on the arm" in November 2017 and "Belval was arrested after being accused of punching her in the head" during pregnancy. All of these predate the April 2022 fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several systemic issues are documented across the sources. The fatality report identifies a critical disconnect between referring services and actually linking the family with those services: "there was a disconnect between linking the family with services versus referring them to services." The CPI had 34 active investigations, above the recommended average, and "staff reported the caseload and shortage of staff caused additional strain on their daily duties." The CIRRT found that siblings not part of the dependency action were not assessed despite CFOP 170-1 Chapter 9 requirements. The Miami New Times article reveals 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 with Citrus Health Network made a note in Joassaint's case to follow up to 'see if the mother did a psych evaluation.'" The mother was subsequently found mentally incompetent to stand trial, and the father filed a lawsuit against DCF and Citrus Family Care Network. DCF launched the "Family Navigator initiative" in response to address gaps in engaging families with complex dynamics, substance abuse, and mental health crises.
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