Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced the pursuit of the death penalty for two adults accused of confining four children in a tractor-trailer cabin, with some being held for over six years, and sexually abusing them.
Keisha Monique Epps, 51, and Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, face charges of sexual battery, molestation, and neglect involving two girls and two boys, ages 5, 5, 6, and 9, according to Uthmeier.
Reports indicate that Epps, a truck driver, and her fiancé Stewart lived with the children in the trailer’s cabin while traveling between Miami and Atlanta. The two were arrested on August 6 and remain in custody pending trial on charges of child neglect.
Uthmeier expressed the severity of the case, describing the children’s living conditions as a ‘rolling prison’ where they were subjected to abuse by those meant to safeguard them. Uthmeier stated that under Florida law, the death penalty could be sought for adults found guilty of sexually abusing children under 12.
We will pursue with everything we have the death penalty. We will seek executions to protect our children from being violated.
Investigations revealed Stewart sexually abused the two girls over several years. When the boys confronted Stewart about the abuse, he allegedly assaulted them. Epps reportedly witnessed the abuse and derogated one of the children, as per reports.
Stewart admitted to three instances of sexual assault on one of the girls, and one child was found to have an untreated sexually transmitted infection.
Court documents shed light on the extreme neglect beyond sexual abuse. The children were confined without showers, regular use of restrooms, or outdoor exercise. They had to use cups and bags for bathroom needs while stops allowed adults to use facilities.
This disturbing scenario resulted in severe physical ailments for the children, who were primarily kept inside the cabin. The children weren’t sent to school for about five years and showed physical deformities from prolonged confinement.
A detective noted the children walked with unnatural movements and were poorly fed without medical or dental care. Two children sustained untreated burns, one from a noodle incident, leading to visible scarring.
Sleep arrangements were inadequate, with all children sharing a tight bunk, necessitating curled positions.
Stewart and Epps face numerous charges, including sexual battery by custodial authority and child neglect with permanent disfigurement. Stewart additionally supervised during Epps’s breaks.
The two were detained in Duval County Jail, with Stewart represented by the Duval County Public Defender and Epps by the Florida Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel.