Six people have been charged in connection with the death of a seven-year-old disabled boy in Florida, who died weighing just seven pounds.
Deonte Atwell was found horribly malnourished and with gaping bedsores in his Fort Lauderdale home on Christmas Day last year.
The boy should have received 24-hour care for his thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus, but was instead brutally neglected.
The last photo of Atwell shows him lying on his back with his breathing apparatus on his chest.
His mother, Michelle Doe, 37, and his brother, Tyreck Irvin, 21, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
The boy’s grandfather, James Graham, 70, and this week his uncle, Jeremy Graham, were charged with aggravated manslaughter and child abuse.
Home nursing company owner Mirlande Moltimer Ameda, 47, and Atwell’s caregiver, Cassandre Lassegue, 33, are also charged.
Police discovered Atwell after responding to reports of a medical emergency.
Deonte Atwell was found horribly malnourished and with gaping bedsores in his Fort Lauderdale home on Christmas Day last year
His mother, Michelle Doe, 37, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse
In court, prosecutors said the boy was painfully thin and had bones protruding from his skin when he was discovered.
Fort Lauderdale Police Officer. Jacqueline Sanchez estimated he could have suffered from six months to a year.
“It’s sad that Deonte had to die this way,” she said. “It’s sad to say that Deonte suffered in his death at the hands of the people who should have cared for him the most.”
She added that Lassegue, who was charged with murder and Medicaid fraud, at one point stopped her nursing visits.
The boy died during a scheme to defraud Medicaid of more than $10,000 but less than $50,000, investigators said.
Atwell was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, although medics said he may have been dead for some time.
During a search, investigators found 264 bottles of unopened feeding tube feeding at his home.
They also discovered that he was sharing a bed with his siblings, aged nine and 16, at the time of his death. They were then placed in the care of the nine-year-old’s father.
Doe was denied bail and pleaded not guilty to the gruesome charges
Atwell’s brother Tyreck Irvin, 21, (left) was arrested on similar charges to Doe, while the boy’s uncle, Jeremy Graham, became the latest person charged in the brutal death
Grandfather James Graham was arrested and charged after the youngster was found in horrific circumstances on December 25 last year
Healthcare providers Mirlande Moltimer Ameda (left) and Cassandre Lassegue (right) were also indicted, with prosecutors implicating them in a Medicaid fraud scheme as a result of the death
Doe, Irvin, Ameda and Lassegue were held without bond during their initial court appearances earlier this year.
Graham’s bond was set at $22,000 and he could be released on home confinement with a GPS monitor if one is posted.
Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty against Doe, who has pleaded not guilty.
A fundraiser set up by Atwell’s mother to cover funeral costs has so far raised $500.
‘My son died at the age of 7 due to his birth defects. His life was a challenge. I’m asking for help to put him to rest. I’m grateful (sic) for whatever is donated. I appreciate it. May God bless all help. hands,” she wrote.