VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Volusia County judge sentenced 45-year-old Talia M. Nelson to 32 years in state prison after she entered no contest pleas to aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse in the death of her 14-year-old son, authorities said.
The sentence was imposed during a January 5, 2026, hearing, closing a case prosecutors described as one of prolonged neglect and extreme physical abuse. Investigators determined Nelson’s son died on January 1, 2024, after months of starvation and mistreatment inside the family’s home.
According to investigators, the boy was severely malnourished and dehydrated at the time of his death, weighing just 33 pounds. Medical findings also revealed fresh bruises on his face and linear scars across his torso, back, and legs, consistent with ongoing abuse.
Nelson told investigators her son suffered from a rare bone disease, lactose intolerance, and bulimia. However, the investigation showed the child had not been seen by a medical professional since June 2020, despite his rapidly deteriorating condition.
“This case brought tears to my eyes when I saw the condition of our teenage victim,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said. “It is incomprehensible for a mother to neglect and torture her own flesh and blood to the extent we uncovered in this case.”
Larizza said the child suffered for weeks, months, and years before his death. “How could she watch her son suffer until he weighed less than a typical 7-year-old child?” he said. “Heartless and cruel are words that come to mind.”
The investigation was conducted by the Daytona Beach Police Department. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Florida.
The sentence was pronounced by Judge Leah Case. Nelson will serve her prison term in the Florida Department of Corrections.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.