On September 5, 2022, 15-month-old Camilla Devoe sustained severe immersion burns to over 50% of her body while in the care of her mother, Naduania Jones, and her mother's paramour, Charles Francis, Jr., in Duval County, Florida. The mother and paramour gave conflicting accounts of the incident, but the Child Protection Team determined the burns were consistent with immersion burns and the result of physical abuse. Rather than calling 911, the paramour searched online for remedies and the mother drove the child to the maternal grandmother's home, from where EMS was eventually contacted and the child was transported to UF Health Shands in Gainesville. The child remained hospitalized for approximately 8 months and was legally sheltered by the state during that time before succumbing to complications from the burns on May 5, 2023. The mother pled guilty to Child Neglect and received four years of probation after one year in jail, while the paramour pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
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)
FL_23_2157.pdf states: "CPT opined that the burns were consistent with immersion burns and were the result of physical abuse." The child sustained severe burns to over 50% of her body, classified as inflicted trauma. The paramour was ultimately convicted of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child, and the fatality is classified under the "Inflicted Trauma causal factor."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
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?
2023-149977.pdf identifies Naduania Jones (age 23) as the child's mother. The child was in the mother's care at the time of the burn incident. The mother was arrested for Aggravated Child Abuse and Child Neglect, and "pled guilty to Child Neglect and was sentenced to four years of probation after serving one year in jail." FL_23_2157.pdf also confirms the child was in "the care of her mother and her mother's paramour" when the burns occurred.
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)?
2023-149977.pdf identifies Charles Francis, Jr. (age 21) as the "Mother's Paramour." He was arrested for Aggravated Child Abuse and Child Neglect, and his charges were later upgraded after the child's death. He "subsequently pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and was sentenced to 30 years in prison." FL_23_2157.pdf also confirms the child was in the care of "her mother's paramour" at the time of the burn incident.
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)?
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?
2023-149977.pdf states: "The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office opened an investigation and arrested the mother and paramour for Aggravated Child Abuse and Child Neglect." The mother pled guilty to Child Neglect and was sentenced. Following the child's death, the paramour's charges were upgraded, and "he subsequently pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and was sentenced to 30 years in prison."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
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?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
2023-149977.pdf states: "The mother submitted to a drug screen and was positive for THC, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and alcohol." Additionally, "The paramour refused to drug screen," which also references the topic of substance use by a caregiver.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the source text. First, the child survived for approximately 8 months in the hospital after sustaining burns to over 50% of her body before succumbing to complications on May 5, 2023 (admitted September 5, 2022). Second, the mother and paramour provided conflicting accounts of how the burns occurred: the mother claimed she placed the child in the kitchen sink, while the paramour claimed he placed her in the bathroom sink. The paramour admitted to googling what to do for burns rather than immediately calling emergency services, and the mother drove the child to the maternal grandmother's home (approximately 11 minutes away) before EMS was contacted, rather than calling 911 directly. Third, the child was "legally sheltered with her placement remaining in the hospital up until her death," meaning the child was in state custody throughout the 8-month hospitalization. Fourth, there was a significant sentencing disparity: the mother received four years of probation after one year in jail for Child Neglect, while the paramour received 30 years in prison for Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child.
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