Tara Alexis Sykes, the Florida Child Killer, was apprehended on Friday and charged with directing her 10-year-old relative, through messages in an online video game, to dump a 2-month-old infant onto a tile floor and to murder her adult guardians, as reported by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Tara Alexis Sykes, 36, was charged with attempted murder in conjunction with aggravated child abuse related to the communications. The child said detectives that she was fearful of Tara Alexis Sykes and feared that failure to comply with his directives would result in her death, according to officials. The adults were ultimately unharmed, but the two-month-old boy sustained injuries.
The sheriff’s office initiated an investigation on October 17 upon receiving a report from a nonprofit organisation assisting child abuse victims, indicating that the infant sustained a skull fracture on September 26 after being dumped by the girl.
Detectives learned that the 10-year-old was speaking with Tara Alexis Sykes, who is a relative, through the online game platform Roblox at the time of the incident, according to an arrest report obtained by HuffPost. The 10-year-old told investigators that she created the Roblox account for Tara Alexis Sykes, the arrest report said.
Investigators said Tara Alexis Sykes instructed the girl to kill the 2-month-old in various ways, including by drowning him, burning him with scalding water and dropping him on the floor, according to the report.
Tara Alexis Sykes also instructed the 10-year-old to kill her guardians and their adult daughter by cutting their throats while they slept, according to the report. She allegedly gave instructions to burn down the home by dousing bedsheets with aerosol spray and setting them on fire.
The 10-year-old said she did douse the bedsheets as Tara Alexis Sykes instructed but did not go through with burning the home down, according to the report. She also allegedly admitted to deliberately dropping the infant on the kitchen floor.
“I have been in Law Enforcement for over 40 years and have never seen anything quite like this,” Sheriff Chip Simmons wrote in a statement. “I am truly disturbed by the circumstances and the thought that anyone could think like this, let alone instruct these acts to be carried out.”
An attorney listed as representing Tara Alexis Sykes in a separate criminal case did not immediately respond to HuffPost.
Tara Alexis Sykes and her husband were arrested earlier this year and charged with one count each of child neglect and endangerment, after authorities said they allowed a 20-year-old man who impregnated a 14-year-old relative to live in their home, according to an arrest warrant from May. The case remains open, and Tara Alexis Sykes has pleaded not guilty.
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