7-year-old boy died on Christmas weighing only 7 pounds while 264 bottles of formula remained ‘unopened’ — Uncle becomes 4th family member charged: Prosecutors

A fourth family member has been arrested in connection with the horrific starvation death of 7-year-old Deonte Atwell, who weighed only 7 pounds when he was found dead on Christmas Day in Florida last year. Jeremy Graham, the victim’s uncle, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count each of aggravated manslaughter of a child, neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, and failing to report child abuse, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

Also charged in Deonte’s death are his mother, 37-year-old Michelle Doe, his brother, 21-year-old Tyreck Irvin, his grandfather, 70-year-old James Graham, and two Medicaid home care defendants, 33-year-old nurse Cassandre Lassegue and 47-year-old Samaritin Home Care Provider, Inc. owner Mirlande Moltimer.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Deonte — who lived with thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus, required “around-the-clock” care that included feeding and breathing tubes — was found dead inside his home on Dec. 25, 2023. Following his death, authorities recovered “264 unopened bottles” of “feeding formula” from the family’s Fort Lauderdale home on Southwest 11th Street, according to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office.

Deonte Atwell’s mother, Michelle Doe (Broward County Jail)

Authorities said that the evidence shows Deonte’s “bones were protruding through gaping holes in his skin,” that he “died of severe malnutrition” during a “scheme to defraud Medicaid” of more than $10,000, and that he may have been “dead for quite some time” before a 911 call reporting respiratory distress was placed.

“The victim was diagnosed at birth as a ‘medically complex child’ with thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus, he had a breathing tube and feeding tube and required around-the-clock skilled nursing care,” prosecutors said. They also emphasized the vast amount of feeding formula at the residence.

Deonte’s mother, who in January started a GoFundMe saying that her “baby son passed away at the age of 7 due to his birth defects” and a challenging life, is now accused of crimes that could put her in prison for the rest of her life or worse upon conviction.

Doe is charged with first-degree murder, a capital felony, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter in the death of a child, and for neglecting 9- and 16-year-old boys. Deonte’s brother, Tyreck Irvin, faces the same charges.

Similar to Graham, the grandfather is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter, child neglect, and failure to report abuse.

Lassegue and Moltimer are each accused of third-degree felony murder, Medicaid provider fraud, child neglect, and aggravated manslaughter, the latter of which is punishable by up to three decades behind bars upon conviction.

Lassegue is additionally charged with first-degree murder, as detectives reportedly allege that the victim was neglected over a period of six months to a year and that the nurse, at one point, stopped going to the home even as she claimed to have done so in writing.

Graham is currently being held in the Broward County Jail on bond of $121,000, records show.