Insets, from left: Nicole Maxwell, Robert Maxwell and Vikki Koon (St. Lucie County Jail). Background: Mobile home in Fort Pierce, Florida, where a 3-month-old died from alleged neglect (WPTV).
Three people from Florida allowed a 3-month-old boy to wither away and die from dehydration and malnutrition in a cockroach-infested home, authorities say.
The boy’s mother, Nicole Maxwell, 27, grandfather Robert Maxwell, 61, and grandfather’s girlfriend, Vikki Koon, 38, are charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse in the death of baby Robert Gunter.
“In my 20 years of law enforcement, this is one of the worst cases I’ve ever worked,” St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Det. Jennifer Diaz told local NBC affiliate WPTV.
Cops began investigating on Aug. 20, 2025, when Robert Maxwell and Koon brought the unresponsive boy to the hospital. The boy showed signs of severe neglect, and rigor mortis had already set in by the time he arrived at the hospital, according to a 37-page probable cause arrest affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime.
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Police noted that at baby Robert’s last doctor’s appointment on July 24, 2025, he weighed more than 11 pounds. By the time of his death less than a month later, he weighed about 9 pounds, which placed the infant in the first percentile of children his age, per cops.
“The infant’s ribs were more prominent than the stomach, giving the appearance of a smaller build,” detectives wrote.
Investigators learned the boy lived primarily with his grandparents at their mobile home in Fort Pierce. Koon told detectives that she would only feed the baby twice a day, often with “watered-down milk with baby cereal mixed in,” which is far below what is recommended, the affidavit said.
In the weeks leading up to the baby’s death, his caregivers allegedly realized he was losing weight and his health was deteriorating. Despite this, investigators say, they never sought medical attention.
Robert Maxwell sent the baby’s biological father, who had moved out of state, a Facebook message about two weeks before the boy’s death. He said he was “fed up” and he wanted to give the baby away, saying he “can’t do it anymore.”
“I guess nobody gives a f— about this baby,” the grandfather wrote, per cops. “It just seems like I give a f— … Ya’ll should never had a baby … I’m not the father, so I can’t take him to the hospital. There’s something wrong. All he does is sleep.”
Cops searched the home where young Robert lived and were horrified by what they found. They said the home was “in a state of extreme environmental hazard” with a “substantial presence” of both living and dead cockroaches, including inside a collapsed child playpen.
Nicole Maxwell was only an occasional presence in her son’s life, cops alleged. She lived with her boyfriend, who wanted nothing to do with the child because he was not the father, according to the affidavit. The day before her baby’s death, she saw that he appeared unwell, thin and lacking awareness, cops said.
When asked why she didn’t seek medical care for her son, she told detectives she wanted to do so but her boyfriend was “rushing her” to go home. Her father tried to get her to stay and help.
“I got to go cause he’s rushing me,” the mother allegedly said.
The three suspects were arrested last week. Robert Maxwell and Vikki Koon remain in jail on $1.5 million bonds. Nicole Maxwell was not listed as an inmate as of Tuesday morning. Their next court dates were not listed.
“The death of a child is a tragedy that affects our entire community,” Sheriff Richard Del Toro said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to pursue the truth, protect those who cannot protect themselves, and hold those responsible accountable.”
The post ‘Nobody gives a f— about this baby’: Family only fed infant twice a day with ‘watered-down milk’ causing ribs to stick out more than stomach, cops say first appeared on Law & Crime.
