Mother charged with homicide after two-year-old succumbs to injuries from alleged beating

Staff report

Updated on June 25 with pre-trial detention information.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jessica Neathea Wilson, 29, has now been charged with 2nd-degree homicide after her two-year-old succumbed to the injuries she sustained on June 18, when Wilson allegedly beat her until the child had a seizure and became unresponsive.

At about 9:17 p.m. on June 18, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies and Alachua County Fire Rescue Paramedics responded to a residence in the Tower Oaks neighborhood after receiving a call about an unresponsive child.

When the first deputy arrived, he found the child unconscious and not breathing, and he immediately picked her up and ran to the ambulance. Paramedics immediately began advanced life-saving measures, and the child was transported to the UF Health Shands Pediatric Emergency Room with life-threatening injuries.

Wilson, the child’s mother, made spontaneous statements that she had “beat her,” and deputies noted several bruises on the child’s body.

Detectives learned that Wilson had been staying with a friend for a few weeks, and she had awakened her friend and handed her the unresponsive child, saying she was having a seizure. The friend noticed that the child was not breathing, and she reportedly told Wilson to call 911, but she did not. The friend said she began CPR and continued telling Wilson to call 911; when Wilson still refused to call 911 because the child had bruises and she was afraid she would get in trouble, the friend called 911. The friend also reportedly said she had noticed that the child had a bloody lip a few days ago, but Wilson told her the child fell, and she had no reason to doubt Wilson’s story at that time.

The detective noted that he learned that the child was placed in a medically induced coma after arriving at the hospital, and she was in critical condition. The child also had several internal injuries, including skull fractures and bruises to the head, chest, and back; there was also possible internal bleeding, and doctors were not sure whether she would live. He later learned that the child’s health was declining, and she was rushed into surgery.

Post Miranda, Wilson reportedly said the child was not listening to her, so she punished her with a belt; she eventually admitted to beating the child severely with closed fists, hands, and feet, including hitting the child in the head and body with her fist, pulling her back when she tried to get away, and stomping on the child’s back while the child was on the floor. She reportedly said she “went too far” and already knew she “went too far” before the child had a seizure; she said the child has no history of seizures. She also reportedly admitted to punching the victim two days before that incident, leading to bruising and a bloody lip.

Two belts were reportedly found at the scene.

The charge of 2nd-degree homicide has been added to her previous charges of aggravated child abuse for the June 18 incident and child abuse without great bodily harm for the June 16 incident. Wilson has no local criminal record, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey ordered her held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold her without bail until trial. On June 23, Judge Denise Ferrero granted the motion and ordered her held without bail until trial.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.