Distressing final photo of disabled boy, 7, who died weighing 7 pounds on Christmas Day
Six people have been charged in connection with the death of a seven-year-old disabled boy in Florida who died weighing just seven pounds.
Deonte Atwell was found horrifically malnourished and with gaping bedsore wounds at his Fort Lauderdale home on Christmas Day last year.
The youngster should have been receiving round-the-clock care for his thoracic spina bifida and hydrocephalus conditions, but was instead brutally neglected.
The final photo of Atwell shows him lying on his back with his breathing apparatus resting on his chest.
His mother, Michelle Doe, 37, and his brother, Tyreck Irvin, 21, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
The boy's grandfather, James Graham, 70, and this week his uncle, Jeremy Graham, were charged with aggravated manslaughter and child abuse.
The owner of the home nursing company Mirlande Moltimer Ameda, 47, and Atwell's caregiver, Cassandre Lassegue, 33 are also facing charges.
Police discovered Atwell after responding to a reports of a medical emergency.
Deonte Atwell was found horrifically malnourished and with gaping bedsore wounds at his Fort Lauderdale home on Christmas Day last year
His mother, Michelle Doe, 37, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse
In court, prosecutors said the boy was painfully thin and had bones sticking out of his skin when he was discovered.
Fort Lauderdale Police Det. Jacqueline Sanchez estimated that he could have been suffering for six months to a year.
'It's sad that Deonte had to die in this manner,' she said. 'It's sad to say that Deonte had suffered all the way through his death by the people who were supposed to be caring for him the most.'
She added that at some point, Lassegue, who has been charged with murder and Medicaid fraud, had stopped her nursing visits.
The boy died during a scheme to defraud Medicaid for more than $10,000 but less than $50,000, according to investigators.
Atwell was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, although medics said he may have been deceased for some time.
During a search, investigators found 264 bottles of unopened feeding tube formula at his home.
They also discovered that he had been sharing a bed with his siblings, aged nine and 16, at the time of his death. They were subsequently placed in the custody of the nine-year-old's father.
Doe was denied bail and has pleaded not guilty to the horrific charges
Atwell's brother Tyreck Irvin, 21, (left) was arrested on similar charges to Doe while the boy's uncle, Jeremy Graham, became the latest person charged in the brutal death
Grandfather James Graham was arrested and charged after the youngster was found in horrifying circumstances on December 25 last year
Health care providers Mirlande Moltimer Ameda (left) and Cassandre Lassegue (right) were also charged, with prosecutors implicating them in a Medicaid fraud scheme arising from the death
Doe, Irvin, Ameda, and Lassegue were ordered held without bond during their first court appearances earlier this year.
Graham’s bond was set at $22,000 and he can be released on house arrest with a GPS monitor if it is posted.
Prosecutors said they will be seeking the death penalty against Doe, who has pleaded not guilty.
A fundraise set up by Atwell's mother to cover funeral costs has so far raised $500.
'My baby son passed away at the age of 7 due to his birth defects his life was a challenge I am asking for help to lay him to rest I’m greatful [sic] for whatever is donated I appreciate it may god bless all helping hands,' she wrote.
