Florida Mother Arrested 11 Years After Son's Death

Destene Simmons faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse for the 2013 death of her 4-year-old son.

Destene Simmons was arrested in August 2024, accused of suffocating her son, Antwan Hope, in 2013.
Simmons had previously lost custody of Antwan due to mental health issues and an earlier suffocation attempt.
The case was reopened after conflicting forensic opinions, leading to a new ruling of homicide by suffocation in 2023.
Simmons made multiple 911 calls on the day of Antwan's death but did not provide clear information to dispatchers.
Antwan's father had sued child protection agencies for negligence, alleging they allowed unsupervised visits despite Simmons' history.