FORT LAUDERDALE — The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said it is investigating the suspicious death of a seven-year-old boy that happened on Christmas Day in 2023, saying that several family members and others are facing charges for their involvement.
On Wednesday, Fort Lauderdale Police shared its investigation, saying the following people have been arrested and charged in the death of Deonte Atwell, 7, on Tuesday:
- Michelle Doe, 37, child’s mother: First-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated child abuse and two counts of child neglect
- Tyreck Irvin, 21, child’s brother: First-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect and failure to report child abuse
- James Graham, 70, child’s grandfather: Aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect and failure to report child abuse
- Mirlande Moltimer Ameda, 47, owner of home health provider: Third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, Medicaid fraud and child neglect
- Cassandre Lassegue, 33, child’s nurse: First-degree and third-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, aggravated child abuse and Medicaid fraud
Doe and Irvin are also charged with the neglect of two other young boys who were living at the home at the time of the death.
Irvin, Graham, Ameda and Lassegue appeared in court on Wednesday morning. Irvin, Ameda and Lassegue are being held without bond, while Graham is being held with a $22,000 bond. He will be placed on house arrest with an electronic GPS monitor if he posts bond.
Doe is expected to be in court later Wednesday afternoon.
The incident
The incident occurred just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2023 — just two days after Atwell’s birthday — near a home at 1700 SW 11th St., where officers and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue were called out to a medical emergency involving a seven-year-old child. The child was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died an hour later, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said but doctors noted that Atwell “appeared to have been dead for quite some time.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that Atwell had thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus, conditions that required in-home medical services. An autopsy revealed that he died of “severe malnutrition and his bones were protruding through gaping holes in his skin,” BSO said.
As the investigation continued, officers found 264 unopened bottles of Atwell’s feeding formula in the home and that other evidence suggested that he died during a scheme to defraud Medicaid, estimated to be between $10,000 and $50,000, BSO said.
After further investigation, police determined that Doe, Irvin, Graham, Ameda and Lassegue “did not conduct the appropriate medical services,” resulting in the aggravated abuse and death of Atwell, Fort Lauderdale Police said.
Fort Lauderdale Police is working on this investigation with the Office of Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Control Unit, and the Broward State Attorney’s Office Child Fatality and Abuse Unit.
Anyone with information regarding the case should call Detective Jennifer Saint Jean at (954) 828-5570 or Detective Jackie Sanchez at (954) 828-5539, or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).
The investigation is ongoing.
