FL - Tracey Nix, two of her grandchildren died in her care in separate incidents (7mo in hot car Nov '22 & 16mo drowned Dec '21)

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Any further updates on her mental state at the time of these crimes?

Full disclosure: I've never been a member of the "They've Suffered Enough®" club. I believe the dead children are the primary victims, not the consenting adults who made a laundry list of bad choices leading up to their untimely and horrific deaths. Does that mean I don't think the parents & grandparents are grieving & hurting? Not at all. I just think negligence of this degree deserves punishment under the law, whether it's caused by malice or ignorance because the outcome is the same either way. Especially when non-violent drug dealers & others are routinely raided & thrown away w/ no key in this Land of the Fee. The sentence is more about honoring the lives of the children, not devaluing those of the offender.

This case has stuck with me more than anything in 2023 because it left a huge question mark. IMO the ONLY remotely acceptable reason for this tragedy is dementia or another progressive neurocognitive disease. (Note I said "disease," not "disorder"). Addiction, ADHD or other psychiatric disorders are no excuse for this level of reckless endangerment once, let alone twice. Babysitting the kids is a CHOICE & I'm sure she had to beg to get a day alone with the 2nd one after what happened to the 1st. And even if it was early-stage dementia, the 3 other people in Tracey's life should've detected that she wasn't well enough to supervise the kid safely, again, particularly AFTER a child literally died in her care. What kind of hold did she have over her daughter & son in-law to be able to convince them to lend her ANOTHER baby after what happened to #1?

IIRC Florida's laws are disgustingly lenient when it comes to negligence > child deaths. Casey Anthony was from there, after all. I would think if there were even minor tentative signs of dementia the family would come out and say so to prevent the world from tarring & feathering this lady, which makes me think it's NOT that. They certainly have a strange dynamic IMO. Hard to pinpoint just what or how though. Ugh. Great thread anyway.
 
Occams Razor said:
Any further updates on her mental state at the time of these crimes?

Full disclosure: I've never been a member of the "They've Suffered Enough®" club. I believe the dead children are the primary victims, not the consenting adults who made a laundry list of bad choices leading up to their untimely and horrific deaths. Does that mean I don't think the parents & grandparents are grieving & hurting? Not at all. I just think negligence of this degree deserves punishment under the law, whether it's caused by malice or ignorance because the outcome is the same either way. Especially when non-violent drug dealers & others are routinely raided & thrown away w/ no key in this Land of the Fee. The sentence is more about honoring the lives of the children, not devaluing those of the offender.

This case has stuck with me more than anything in 2023 because it left a huge question mark. IMO the ONLY remotely acceptable reason for this tragedy is dementia or another progressive neurocognitive disease. (Note I said "disease," not "disorder"). Addiction, ADHD or other psychiatric disorders are no excuse for this level of reckless endangerment once, let alone twice. Babysitting the kids is a CHOICE & I'm sure she had to beg to get a day alone with the 2nd one after what happened to the 1st. And even if it was early-stage dementia, the 3 other people in Tracey's life should've detected that she wasn't well enough to supervise the kid safely, again, particularly AFTER a child literally died in her care. What kind of hold did she have over her daughter & son in-law to be able to convince them to lend her ANOTHER baby after what happened to #1?

IIRC Florida's laws are disgustingly lenient when it comes to negligence > child deaths. Casey Anthony was from there, after all. I would think if there were even minor tentative signs of dementia the family would come out and say so to prevent the world from tarring & feathering this lady, which makes me think it's NOT that. They certainly have a strange dynamic IMO. Hard to pinpoint just what or how though. Ugh. Great thread anyway.
Click to expand...
And not only allow her to care for the 2nd child but to drive the 2nd child as well…
Everything to do with this case is so bizarre.
 
Occams Razor said:
Any further updates on her mental state at the time of these crimes?

Full disclosure: I've never been a member of the "They've Suffered Enough®" club. I believe the dead children are the primary victims, not the consenting adults who made a laundry list of bad choices leading up to their untimely and horrific deaths. Does that mean I don't think the parents & grandparents are grieving & hurting? Not at all. I just think negligence of this degree deserves punishment under the law, whether it's caused by malice or ignorance because the outcome is the same either way. Especially when non-violent drug dealers & others are routinely raided & thrown away w/ no key in this Land of the Fee. The sentence is more about honoring the lives of the children, not devaluing those of the offender.

This case has stuck with me more than anything in 2023 because it left a huge question mark. IMO the ONLY remotely acceptable reason for this tragedy is dementia or another progressive neurocognitive disease. (Note I said "disease," not "disorder"). Addiction, ADHD or other psychiatric disorders are no excuse for this level of reckless endangerment once, let alone twice. Babysitting the kids is a CHOICE & I'm sure she had to beg to get a day alone with the 2nd one after what happened to the 1st. And even if it was early-stage dementia, the 3 other people in Tracey's life should've detected that she wasn't well enough to supervise the kid safely, again, particularly AFTER a child literally died in her care. What kind of hold did she have over her daughter & son in-law to be able to convince them to lend her ANOTHER baby after what happened to #1?

IIRC Florida's laws are disgustingly lenient when it comes to negligence > child deaths. Casey Anthony was from there, after all. I would think if there were even minor tentative signs of dementia the family would come out and say so to prevent the world from tarring & feathering this lady, which makes me think it's NOT that. They certainly have a strange dynamic IMO. Hard to pinpoint just what or how though. Ugh. Great thread anyway.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't they have revealed if dementia was the issue by now?
 
It looks like the case has been continued until 5/2/24 and there will be depositions 4/16/24:

“THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT NI AND FOR HARDEE COUNTY, FLORIDA FELONY DIVISION
STATE OF FLORIDA, Plaintiff,
vS.
TRACEY HOWARD NIX, Defendant.
Case No:
22-289-CF
RE-NOTICE OF TAKING DEPOSITION
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., the deposition of the below listed witnesses in the above-styled case will be taken before Superior Court Reporting, for the purposes of discovery, use at trial, or such other purposes as may be permitted by law. The deposition of the following witnesses wil occur in person at Office of the Office of the State Attorney, 124 S. 9th Avenue, Suite 100, Wauchula, FL 33873, beginning at the listed times:
Witnesses:
Detective Alice Simandl E M T Gabriel Coone
2:00 p.m. 2:45 p.m.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that a good faith effort was made to coordinate the deposition schedule. PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.
DATED this 19" day of March 19, 2024.
By: /s/WILLIAMBFLETCHER Wiliam BFletcher, Attorney at Law, P.A. Attorneys for Defendant 559 South Commerce Avenue Sebring, LF 33870 Telephone: (863) 385-1565 Primary Email: pleadings@freedomdefenselaw.com Florida Bar No. 168151
Electronically Filed Hardee Case # 22000289CFAXMX 03/19/2024 02:54:50 PM”


 
Occams Razor said:
Any further updates on her mental state at the time of these crimes?

Full disclosure: I've never been a member of the "They've Suffered Enough®" club. I believe the dead children are the primary victims, not the consenting adults who made a laundry list of bad choices leading up to their untimely and horrific deaths. Does that mean I don't think the parents & grandparents are grieving & hurting? Not at all. I just think negligence of this degree deserves punishment under the law, whether it's caused by malice or ignorance because the outcome is the same either way. Especially when non-violent drug dealers & others are routinely raided & thrown away w/ no key in this Land of the Fee. The sentence is more about honoring the lives of the children, not devaluing those of the offender.

This case has stuck with me more than anything in 2023 because it left a huge question mark. IMO the ONLY remotely acceptable reason for this tragedy is dementia or another progressive neurocognitive disease. (Note I said "disease," not "disorder"). Addiction, ADHD or other psychiatric disorders are no excuse for this level of reckless endangerment once, let alone twice. Babysitting the kids is a CHOICE & I'm sure she had to beg to get a day alone with the 2nd one after what happened to the 1st. And even if it was early-stage dementia, the 3 other people in Tracey's life should've detected that she wasn't well enough to supervise the kid safely, again, particularly AFTER a child literally died in her care. What kind of hold did she have over her daughter & son in-law to be able to convince them to lend her ANOTHER baby after what happened to #1?

IIRC Florida's laws are disgustingly lenient when it comes to negligence > child deaths. Casey Anthony was from there, after all. I would think if there were even minor tentative signs of dementia the family would come out and say so to prevent the world from tarring & feathering this lady, which makes me think it's NOT that. They certainly have a strange dynamic IMO. Hard to pinpoint just what or how though. Ugh. Great thread anyway.
Click to expand...
Excellent post, @Occams Razor. Thanks.
 
borndem said:
Excellent post, @Occams Razor. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I'm curious to know what it's like these days between the grandmother and her daughter, the mother of the 2 children who died. There doesn't seem to be any appropriate way the grandmother could act toward her daughter after this happened. And to forgive her for this... it would all be so painful.

I remember reading something about her daughter hugging the grandmother in court, I think, and lots of discussion about how she could possibly do that. The children's mother even made a statement after that, trying to explain how she felt and how she could hug her mother after the children died in her care. So I wonder how it continues between them today. I can imagine it causes problems between the children's mother and her husband, the children's father, as well. I wonder if they have had children again. I hope their marriage survived.

Am I remembering correctly that the children's parents avoided letting grandmother care for the 2nd child by herself (understandably) after what happened with the first child, but that they eventually left the 2nd child in the care of the grandparents after some time had passed, and that was when the 2nd child died? On the very first occasion they allowed grandmother to watch the child? The very first time? That's what I seem to recall, but I wasn't sure. That seems practically unbelievable though, so maybe it wasn't the very first time? In any case, a horrific turn of events, incredibly tragic, not something any of them will ever get over. No one should have to suffer such a tragedy.
 
I was curious and looked up the Williams Rule in FL:

“In Florida law, the Williams Rule plays a significant role in shaping criminal proceedings. Named after the landmark 1959 Florida Supreme Court case, Williams v. State, this legal principle allows for the admission of evidence pertaining to prior bad acts or crimes committed by a defendant”


I’m not a lawyer, but seems like they are deciding whether to allow evidence of previous bad acts into the current case. Very interesting!!! All IMO.
 
Looks like the case is going to trial:


12706/24/2024Event JURY TRIAL scheduled on 11/4/2024 at 0830 AM, MX - Judge presiding.
12606/24/2024Event STATUS scheduled on 10/31/2024 at 0130 PM, MX - Judge presiding.
12506/24/2024Event PRETRIAL scheduled on 7/25/2024 at 0130 PM, MX - Judge presiding.
12406/24/2024Updated Event PRETRIAL on 6/20/2024 0130 PM Judge REINALDO OJEDA results CONTINUED on 6/20/2024
Pending View Image Request
12206/21/2024AMENDED NOTICE OF INTENT TO OFFER EVIDENCE OF OTHER CRIMES, WRONGS OR ACTS (WILLIAMS RULE)2
viewDocket12306/20/2024DISPOSITION: CASE CONTINUED1
Pending View Image Request
12106/20/2024NOTICE OF INTENT TO OFFER EVIDENCE OF OTHER CRIMES, WRONGS, OR ACTS (WILLIAMS RULE)2
Pending View Image Request
12006/20/2024NOTICE OF INTENT TO OFFER EVIDENCE OF OTHER CRIMES, WRONGS OR ACTS (WILLIAMS RULE)2
viewDocket11905/03/2024MAILED SNAPOUT TO BOND COMPANY2
11805/03/2024Event PRETRIAL scheduled on 6/20/2024 at 0130 PM, MX - Judge presiding.
 
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So Nix is only being tried in Uriel’s death, not Ezra’s. I don’t remember reading in MSM that Nix was taking “mind-altering prescription drugs when she fell asleep while watching Ezra.” I feel there is so much more to this story. :(


“According to reports, Nix and her grandchild reportedly left the restaurant around 1 p.m. and returned to her home.

“The defendant said she parked the car in the yard and forgot the victim was in the back seat and proceeded to go inside the house and talk to her dog and practice piano for a ‘long time’ because she had a piano lesson coming up on Thursday,” investigators noted in charging documents.”

“According to reports, around 4:30 p.m. Nix got back into her Lexus – the stricken infant still in the back seat – and drove to speak to her husband on another part of the property.
While speaking to her husband, Nix reportedly told investigators “it came across her head” that she forgot the infant in the car all afternoon.
“The defendant said she opened the back door, and her husband ‘panicked’ and got the victim out of the vehicle and immediately started CPR,” according to the report.
The eight-month-old’s death occurred less than 11 months after the death of her brother, Ezra Schock, who drowned after reportedly being left unattended in Nix’s care. Ezra was found unconscious in a pond at Nix’s home on Kazen Road in Wauchula on Dec. 22, 2021. The 14-month-old later died at Tampa General Hospital.

“As previously reported by The Herald-Advocate, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office sought charges against Nix in Ezra’s case; however, the Office of the State Attorney in Bartow declined to file charges against the former principal. Nix was taking mind-altering prescription drugs when she fell asleep while watching Ezra.”

www.theheraldadvocate.com

Judge Sets November Trial Against Former Principal In Hot-Car Death

The former elementary school principal charged in the hot-car death of her granddaughter will be headed to trial this November.
www.theheraldadvocate.com www.theheraldadvocate.com
 
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IDK said:
So Nix is only being tried in Uriel’s death, not Ezra’s. I don’t remember reading in MSM that Nix was taking “mind-altering prescription drugs when she fell asleep while watching Ezra.” I feel there is so much more to this story. :(


“According to reports, Nix and her grandchild reportedly left the restaurant around 1 p.m. and returned to her home.

“The defendant said she parked the car in the yard and forgot the victim was in the back seat and proceeded to go inside the house and talk to her dog and practice piano for a ‘long time’ because she had a piano lesson coming up on Thursday,” investigators noted in charging documents.”

“According to reports, around 4:30 p.m. Nix got back into her Lexus – the stricken infant still in the back seat – and drove to speak to her husband on another part of the property.
While speaking to her husband, Nix reportedly told investigators “it came across her head” that she forgot the infant in the car all afternoon.
“The defendant said she opened the back door, and her husband ‘panicked’ and got the victim out of the vehicle and immediately started CPR,” according to the report.
The eight-month-old’s death occurred less than 11 months after the death of her brother, Ezra Schock, who drowned after reportedly being left unattended in Nix’s care. Ezra was found unconscious in a pond at Nix’s home on Kazen Road in Wauchula on Dec. 22, 2021. The 14-month-old later died at Tampa General Hospital.

“As previously reported by The Herald-Advocate, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office sought charges against Nix in Ezra’s case; however, the Office of the State Attorney in Bartow declined to file charges against the former principal. Nix was taking mind-altering prescription drugs when she fell asleep while watching Ezra.”

www.theheraldadvocate.com

Judge Sets November Trial Against Former Principal In Hot-Car Death

The former elementary school principal charged in the hot-car death of her granddaughter will be headed to trial this November.
www.theheraldadvocate.com www.theheraldadvocate.com
Click to expand...
I’d be curious to know the year and model of her Lexus. I have a 2019 and it’s a base model (doesn’t have a lot of the fancy upgrades). If I leave anything in the backseat when I turn the car off, I receive a warning telling me to check the seat.
 
A search of the Hardee County clerk shows she’s still scheduled for trial 11/4/24. The latest documents are now viewable by the public.

From 6/20/24:


“1. CRIMES, WRONGS, OR ACTS SOUGHT TO BE ADMITTED
On December 22, 2021, the Defendant had sole care and custody of her 16 month old grandchild, E.S. The parents of E.S. left him with the Defendant and her husband, Nun Nix at their home ni Wachula, FL. Mr. Nix left E.S. ni the sole custody of the Defendant ot run some errands. While M.r Nxi was out, the Defendant ingested two Cymbalta and Ambien and fel asleep while E.S. was left unattended sleeping ni a chair.
After she awoke approximately 10 hours later, she could not find E . and noticed that the garage door was open. The Defendant got into her vehicle to look for the child ni the surrounding area. While returning home, she saw E.S. facedown ni a pond on her property. The child was rushed to the hospital with a faint pulse but unfortunately was pronounced deceased on December 23, 2021”

An amended version 6/21/24:


“On December 22, 2021, the Defendant had sole care and custody of her 16-month-old grandchild, E.S. The parents of E.S. left him with the Defendant and her husband. Nun Nix at their home in Wauchula, FL. Mr. Nix left E.S. in the sole custody of the Defendant to run some errands. During that time, the Defendant fel asleep while E.S. was left unattended sleeping ni a chair.
After she awoke, she could not find E.S and noticed that the garage door was open. The Defendant got into her vehicle ot look for the child ni the surrounding area. While returning home. she saw E.S. facedown ni a pond on her property. The child was rushed ot the hospital with a faint pulse but unfortunately was pronounced deceased on December 23, 2021. Notably, the night before, the Defendant ingested time released Cymbalta and Ambien.”





 
I know what version I believe...

While Mr Nix was out, the Defendant ingested two Cymbalta and Ambien and fell asleep while E.S. was left unattended sleeping in a chair.
After she awoke approximately 10 hours later...

V's

During that time, the Defendant fell asleep while E.S. was left unattended sleeping in a chair.
After she awoke...
Notably, the night before, the Defendant ingested time released Cymbalta and Ambien
 
dalsglen said:
I know what version I believe...

While Mr Nix was out, the Defendant ingested two Cymbalta and Ambien and fell asleep while E.S. was left unattended sleeping in a chair.
After she awoke approximately 10 hours later...

V's

During that time, the Defendant fell asleep while E.S. was left unattended sleeping in a chair.
After she awoke...
Notably, the night before, the Defendant ingested time released Cymbalta and Ambien
Click to expand...
This case is very, very strange and probably tearing the family apart , IMO.

I wonder if the grandmother just pled guilty what type of sentence she would receive.
 
IDK said:
This case is very, very strange and probably tearing the family apart , IMO.

I wonder if the grandmother just pled guilty what type of sentence she would receive.
Click to expand...
The daughter was all for her going to jail a year or so ago, I wonder how she feels now. I cannot even imagine being in her position. Not just once, but twice. I'd kill my mum before she stepped foot in a police station. But then I'd beat myself up that I had trusted her after the last time and it happened yet again. Those poor parents.

She won't plead guilty, imo she's playing the "oops I took my meds, silly me" route.
 
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