72 Hours
Police allege that when rescuers finally reached a pair of 13-month-old twins who had been left alone for days, the surviving child was so malnourished that he attempted to eat a paramedic’s stethoscope, mistaking it for food.
His twin sister, Mazouri Jones, was already dead and decomposing.
According to Fox 5 DC, 25-year-old Valencia Duke has been charged with first-degree felony murder and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children in connection with the death of her daughter.
Duke appeared in Superior Court on June 4, where Judge Heidi Hermann found probable cause and ordered that she be held without bond pending trial. During the hearing, Duke’s attorney revealed that she is currently pregnant. Court records also indicate Duke does not have custody of an older daughter.
The charges stem from an incident on January 18, when Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to an apartment on Southern Avenue Southeast for a report of an unconscious child.
Inside the residence, officers discovered 13-month-old twins. Mazouri Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. Her twin brother was found alive but suffering from severe dehydration and malnourishment. He was transported to a hospital, where he received treatment for several days.
According to court documents, investigators believe the children were left completely alone inside the apartment for more than 72 hours between January 14 and January 18.
An autopsy later determined that Mazouri died from dehydration and malnutrition caused by neglect. The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Photos released from the scene allegedly show cluttered and unsanitary living conditions inside the apartment. Investigators say the surviving twin’s condition reflected the extent of the neglect he endured during the days he was left alone.
Cases like this inevitably leave people asking how something so catastrophic could happen and whether there were warning signs long before authorities became involved.
While no charity can undo what happened to Mazouri Jones, there are organizations working every day to protect vulnerable children and support families before neglect and abuse become tragedies.
One such charity is Childhelp. Childhelp exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. They help find foster placements for those in need.