Florida authorities have officially charged a mother with the killing of her 3-year-old twins after conducting an extensive investigation. However, the charges brought against her do not include murder counts.
Shirlene N. Alcime, a 43-year-old woman, is facing an aggravated manslaughter case, as reported by NBC Miami affiliate WTVJ. On February 2nd, Miami-Dade police received a call and responded to I-95. Allegedly, just as the police arrived at the scene, Alcime jumped off the expressway wall onto the train tracks below. In the meantime, her children, Milendhet and Milendhere Napoleon-Cadet, aged 3, were discovered in the backseat of a nearby car. Sadly, they were unresponsive, foaming at the mouth, and were later pronounced dead. Miraculously, their mother survived the incident.
According to reports, Alcime denied providing her children with anything that could have caused their condition. However, she acknowledged that her family was facing severe financial difficulties and that leaving the children alone with their father would result in them being homeless or living in a car. Alcime also shared that she had taken the kids to McDonald’s and Chuck E. Cheese on that day to ensure they had a enjoyable time.
Authorities had previously hinted at the possibility of murder charges, but they refrained from immediately pressing homicide charges due to the ongoing preliminary investigation. Prosecutors have now revealed that the medical examiner’s office has determined the deaths to be “homicide by unspecified means.” These updated charges were issued on Thursday.
Alcime, who was admitted to the hospital after the incident, appeared in court on Friday while seated in a wheelchair, as reported by WTVJ. Currently in jail for aggravated child neglect with bodily harm, she maintains her plea of not guilty.
Jerry Lambe made a valuable contribution to this report.
Please note that we have included additional details regarding the cause and manner of the children’s deaths.