Florida – In a harrowing case in Florida that drew national attention, a 21-year-old mother, identified as H. Jones, was sentenced to two decades in prison for failing to protect her twin daughters, one of whom died as a result of brutal abuse by their 25-year-old father, identified as Q. Smith. Jones received a 20-year prison sentence on Thursday after pleading no contest to child neglect with great bodily harm.
Her sentencing came months after authorities discovered one of her twin daughters, who were two months old, dead and the other severely injured in their home.
Jones did not intervene and witnessed her babies’ repeated abuse by her boyfriend and their father, Smith, according to prosecutors. She admitted to seeing Smith squeeze, hit, and throw items at the infants, even describing how he grabbed their limbs and bit them out of frustration.
“These babies came home from the hospital and spent their entire two-and-a-half months in an abusive environment,” Assistant State Attorney R. Price explained. “It’s only because one baby was found dead that morning that her sister lived.” While delivering the sentence, Circuit Judge C. Crawford told Jones unequivocally: “You should never be in charge of any children ever again.”
Authorities were dispatched to the couple’s home around 11 a.m. on October 5, 2023, after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant. The baby was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. The autopsy and hospital photos revealed a gruesome story.
The deceased infant had circular bruises all over her face, head, and body. Additional marks covered her upper back and left rib area, and one of her arms was visible swollen. Her twin sister was still alive, but she had bruising on her face and head, as well as a large bite mark near her buttocks.
Investigators immediately brought both parents in for questioning. Jones initially provided vague and implausible explanations, claiming the babies frequently banged their heads against the bassinet lining. When pressed, she admitted that Smith frequently “squeezed together” their faces while attempting to feed them and bit them—something she had never reported to medical personnel or police.
Smith, who is still awaiting trial, has also admitted to a disturbing pattern of abuse. He admitted to biting both infants on several occasions and acknowledged that the bruises were the result of this. He claimed Jones had asked him to stop, but he continued. Smith also admitted to shaking one of the babies and yanking her by the shoulder in frustration.
He also admitted to putting the deceased infant on her stomach in the bassinet before taking a shower. Jones discovered the baby unresponsive after they had taken showers.
In addition to describing his own actions, Smith told investigators that Jones mistreated the infants, claiming she grabbed them by the legs and held them upside down in “careless and unsafe” ways.
Jones will now serve 20 years in a Florida state prison as Smith awaits trial on charges of aggravated child abuse by willful torture. Prosecutors believe the surviving twin was only saved because her sister’s death prompted authorities to intervene.
The case has shaken and disturbed the community, a sentiment shared by law enforcement and the court. The judge described what happened in the home over the course of ten weeks as a horrifying betrayal of the most fundamental parental responsibility—to protect.
