Florida mom Kimberley Mills sentenced to life in prison in killing of 10-year-old son

Florida mom sentenced to life in prison in killing of 10-year-old son

A Florida mother has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading no contest in the killing of her 10-year-old son, a case prosecutors described as one of the most heartbreaking crimes the community has seen.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Lake County mother has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading no contest in the killing her 10-year-old son, a case prosecutors described as one of the most heartbreaking crimes the community has seen.

Kimberley Leonie Mills, 38, of Tavares, admitted to murder charges in the death of her son, Xavier Williams, who died last year in Lake County. 

Under a plea deal, Williams avoided the death penalty but agreed to testify against her boyfriend, Andre Dwayne Walker, 37, who is also charged in the case.

Content warning: This story discusses allegations of physical abuse against a child, according to information from the Tavares Police Department. The details in this story are disturbing. 

What happened to Xavier?

The backstory:

Authorities said the child was repeatedly beaten and burned, including being duct-taped to a ladder and struck with a dumbbell. Prosecutors detailed the abuse during sentencing, calling it extreme and prolonged.

Xavier’s father addressed the court, describing the lasting pain of losing his son and the emotional toll of seeing Williams in court for the first time since the child’s death.

Timeline:

On Feb. 22, 2025, Mills and Walker took Xavier to AdventHealth Waterman, where doctors noticed bruises and burn marks. 

Tavares Police officers said Walker left immediately, and Mills briefly left but returned with Xavier's 9-year-old brother.

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Investigators executed a search warrant at the home, uncovering evidence of abuse, including a 10-pound weight being dropped onto Xavier's stomach and copper wire used to inflict harm, authorities said.

Xavier died on March 21 after weeks of fighting for his life at the hospital. 

As the investigation continued, police discovered that the boy's brother had also been tortured and abused by the couple. 

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Police said Mills was "methodical" and made sure the children would not tell anyone what was going on. The kids went to school wearing long sleeves to cover the abuse, officials said.