LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The State Attorney's Office said it is seeking the death penalty in the cases of Qwentosha Massaquoi and Louis Moinina Massaquoi, charged with the murder of their 12-year-old son.
According to State Attorney Amira Fox, her office indicted the couple back in September for first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and failure to report child abuse.
"The facts of these cases support the aggravating factors necessary for us to seek death," Fox said on Friday at a press conference.
Prosecutors say in court documents that the 12-year-old boy endured "extreme and shocking neglect."
The September indictment claims the couple killed the boy between September 1, 2024, and January 27, 2025, in Lee County.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office previously told Fox 4 that parents were searching "child death" online before authorities were called to their home on January 27, 2025.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the parents may not have sought out medical care because of religious beliefs.
"They were searching for symptoms and treatments to various medical conditions that this child may have had, and again, they failed to go through with getting treatment for their child," said Julie Sin, public information officer for the Lee County Sheriff's Office previously told Fox 4. "That raised a lot of alarm bells for our detectives."
According to the police report, the child had been feeling sick for several days before his death. When first responders arrived, the report says life-saving measures were already in progress, but the 12-year-old died.
Deputies said the boy was malnourished. The medical examiner ruled the 12-year-old boy's death a homicide.
Investigators noted in the report that the common areas of the home were "well-kept" with no concerning items found in the child's room. Food and water were also available in the house.
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