Toddler Dies After Couple Leaves Twins Home Alone for 8 Hours: Police

A mother and her boyfriend have been charged with murder after they left 3-year-old twins home alone for eight hours, resulting in one's death, police said.

The victim's mother, Donrea A. McLaughlin, 22, and the mom's boyfriend, Sean D. Lee II, 26, are each facing charges of felony murder, two counts of aggravated child abuse and two counts of child neglect, the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) said in a statement on Friday. Lee is not the biological father of the twins, GPD confirmed to Newsweek.

Police said the investigation uncovered "a history of prolonged abuse and neglect," which contributed to the toddler's death and caused injuries to the surviving twin, according to GPD.

GPD Sergeant John Pandak told Newsweek in an interview that both twins suffered numerous marks, scars and internal damage. He said the deceased twin's suspected cause of death is blunt force trauma, which caused an internal injury, and "a painful final few days."

"The injuries to both children were similar, indicating a pattern of repeated physical beatings, along with malnutrition," Pandak said.

GPD began investigating on September 1 after police and emergency medical services responded to a call regarding an "unresponsive" 3-year-old girl at a residence on Northwest 43rd Street in Gainesville, Florida.

The victim was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced deceased, GPD said in the statement, which was posted to the department's Facebook page.

During the initial investigation, McLaughlin told police that she found the toddler "not breathing," after she took a nap and was woken up by Lee several hours later.

However, GPD detectives determined that McLaughlin and Lee left the victim and her twin alone in the home for roughly 8 hours, police said.

McLaughlin and Lee both went to work and did not arrange for care for the toddlers, GPD said, adding that the 3-year-olds weren't checked on at all while the couple was out. After returning back to the home hours later, McLaughlin and Lee found the victim unresponsive.

Pandak told Newsweek that investigators uncovered surveillance video from where McLaughlin and Lee both worked in addition to cell phone searches. No food or water was left behind for the 3-year-olds while their mom and her boyfriend were away, he said, adding that it was a "regular occurrence."

"Further investigation revealed a history of prolonged abuse and neglect, which contributed to the death of the one sibling and the injury to the other," GPD said. "The surviving sibling received treatment at a nearby hospital, on the night of the reported incident."

GPD detectives believe the couple started abusing the twin girls before the family moved to Gainesville in April.

"Many people, some friends and some family, knew about the long term neglectful and abusive treatment of these children and they failed to come forward," Pandak told Newsweek. "They were only in Gainesville for 3-4 months, most of their time was spent in Atlanta, GA."

At some point during the investigation, McLaughlin and Lee abandoned their Gainesville apartment and "fled" to Atlanta, Georgia, where they previously resided, GPD said.

GPD detectives, Alachua County Warrants Detectives, and the United States Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force worked together to coordinate the arrest of McLaughlin and Lee in Atlanta. Additional details about their arrests, including the date, were not shared by GPD at the time of publication.

The couple will be extradited from Georgia to the Alachua County Jail to await further judicial proceedings, GPD said. Their bond was set at $4,500,000 each.

Pandak told Newsweek that the surviving twin has been released from the hospital and is recovering in foster care.

Update 09/30/2023, 11:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comment from GPD.