A woman in Florida has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her girlfriend’s 3-year-old son, whom she beat to death with a tire iron. The incident happened in 2020, and the woman waited over three hours to take the child to the hospital—by which time, he had likely already died.
Who Was Involved?
Te’Lea Jefferson, 28, pleaded no contest this week to charges of:
- First-degree murder
- Aggravated child abuse
She was given life in prison for the murder and 30 years for the abuse charge. The child, identified by local media as Miguel, died in October 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida.
What Happened to Miguel?
According to the police report:
- Miguel was brought to the hospital around 7 p.m. on October 19, 2020, unresponsive, with a body temperature of just 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
- He had severe injuries to his head and face, and one of his fingers was almost completely severed.
- Doctors tried to help, but he was declared dead within minutes of arriving.
- Hospital staff immediately called the police due to the nature of his injuries.
Jefferson’s Original Story
At first, Jefferson claimed:
- Miguel was brushing his teeth while standing on the sink.
- He fell and hit the toilet, breaking it and causing the injuries.
But police quickly doubted her version. The wounds on Miguel were too severe and not consistent with a simple fall. They also found other injuries on Miguel’s body in different stages of healing, suggesting he had been abused before.
What She Eventually Admitted
After being questioned further, Jefferson admitted the truth:
- She became angry when Miguel refused to get down from the sink.
- She picked up a tire iron from a tool kit and threw it at him, hitting him in the face.
- The iron also hit the toilet, which is what shattered it, not the child’s fall as she originally claimed.
- She then hit the child 3 or 4 more times with the tire iron.
- She remembered seeing blood spray from his wounds.
- Jefferson also admitted Miguel was likely already dead when she finally took him to the hospital.
Police Findings and Legal Action
Authorities found that:
- Miguel and his 6-year-old sibling had both shown signs of previous abuse.
- The sibling has now been placed under the care of Florida’s Department of Children and Families.
- Jefferson was arrested soon after the incident and had been in jail ever since.
Prosecutors were originally seeking the death penalty, but Jefferson took a plea deal, avoiding a death sentence.