An Alabama mother now confronts a murder charge after authorities determined that she severely neglected her 12‑year‑old daughter for more than a month, resulting in the child’s death from sepsis and profound malnutrition.
Leslie Denise Wilson, 35, was arrested and booked into the Etowah County Jail on Monday. Jail records indicate that she remains detained without bond under Aniah’s Law, an Alabama statute permitting judges to deny bail to individuals charged with certain violent offenses.
Police in Gadsden, approximately 60 miles northeast of Birmingham, initially responded to the family home after receiving a report of an apparent natural death. Investigators quickly concluded that the circumstances required a criminal investigation.
A criminal complaint obtained by local media alleges that the 12‑year‑old girl suffered “ongoing and extreme medical and/or physical neglect causing serious physical injury” from May 1 until her death on June 17.
During a Tuesday court hearing, Gadsden Police Detective Alec Burgess testified about the scene officers encountered. He informed the court that the victim, who suffered from cerebral palsy and relied on a feeding tube for basic nutrition, was discovered in critical condition.
Detective Burgess testified that the girl weighed merely 32 pounds at the time of her death, bore physical marks across her body, and suffered from pneumonia, dehydration, and severe malnutrition. By contrast, a typical 12‑year‑old girl weighs approximately 92 pounds. Police also reported discovering live maggots inside the child’s diaper.
Investigators assert that Wilson allegedly delegated the care of the medically fragile child to the girl’s siblings, despite the residence lacking sufficient food.
The Etowah County court docket has not yet scheduled Wilson’s next appearance. Officials confirmed that the Alabama Department of Human Resources is conducting an independent investigation of the household.
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