Florida mother charged with murder of 4-year-old son more than a decade after he died during unsupervised visit

In 2011, Destene Simmons allegedly tried to suffocate her young child by putting a pillow over his face.

Antwan Hope Jr. was taken from his mother by the state, but he was released to her for an unsupervised visit for a weekend in 2013, according to the Miami Herald. It was the first time they had been alone together in years.

The four-year-old, who had just finished nursery school, reportedly died three days later.

More than 11 years after Antwan's death, authorities arrested Simmons Friday in Broward County. She is charged with first-degree murder in her son's death, as well as aggravated child abuse.

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Destene Simmons has been charged with the murder of her four-year-old son. (Courtesy of Broward County Sheriff's Office)

Coral Springs police said Antwan's death was “suspicious” but did not release further details about the circumstances, the Miami Herald reported.

“This arrest marks the culmination of more than 11 years of dedicated investigative work by the Coral Springs Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit,” Coral Springs police said in a statement. “Detectives have revisited the case numerous times over the years.”

On June 10, 2013, authorities received several 911 calls from Simmons, and officers went to his apartment, where they found the body of his son Antwan on a bed, still in his pajamas, according to the Sun Sentinel.

A 2013 report from Casey Family Programs, which included Antwan's case, highlighted the failure of authorities to protect children in dysfunctional homes.

“Medical experts said the child may have been dead for 10 to 15 hours before his mother contacted authorities,” the report said. “What may have been an attempted murder of the child in 2011 was overlooked because the child, who was under 3 years old at the time of the attempted suffocation, did not ‘disclose’ that the incident had occurred…”

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Antwan Hope died in 2013. His mother was charged in his death. (Courtesy of Thomas Bryant)

“We recognize that we must be open about our failures in order to improve,” the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) said in response to the report at the time. “These innocent victims should serve as inspiration as we work to implement the report’s recommendations and improve our practices to keep children safe.”

DCF removed Antwan from Simmons' care after she was committed to a mental health facility in 2011. ChildNet, a DCF contractor, later reunited her with her mother after she met several conditions that could allow her unsupervised visits, according to the Miami Herald.

“They put him in the hands of death,” Antwan's aunt, Deborah Jackson, told the Miami Herald.

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Coral Springs Police Department in Florida. (Google Street View)

“Our detectives never gave up on Antwan Hope Jr.,” Coral Springs Police Chief Bradley McKeone said.

Simmons appeared before a judge Saturday. She is being held without bail at the North Broward Bureau in Pompano Beach.

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“This arrest provides closure for the family of Antwan Hope Jr. after more than 11 years of waiting for justice,” police said. “The Coral Springs Police Department remains committed to providing justice for all victims, no matter how much time has passed.”