Jury Finds Grandma That Left Infant In Hot Car Not Guilty

Florida Woman Found Not Guilty of Manslaughter in Hot Car Death of Grandchild

Hardee County, Florida – Tracey Nix, 67, was found not guilty of aggravated manslaughter in the 2022 death of her 7-month-old grandchild, Uriel Schock. However, she was found guilty of leaving a child in a vehicle in excess of 15 minutes, causing great bodily harm.

The trial, which began on Tuesday, centered around the tragic incident where Uriel died of hyperthermia after being left in a hot car for several hours. Tracey Nix told investigators that she “just forgot” the baby was in the backseat after returning home from lunch with friends. Her daughter, Kaila Nix, had asked her to babysit while she went to a hair appointment.

On the day of the incident, temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death as hyperthermia, a condition caused by extreme heat.

During the trial, several witnesses testified, including Nix’s daughters, friends, paramedics, law enforcement officials, and a medical examiner. Kaila Nix became emotional as she recounted the moment she had to identify her daughter’s body.

“It was sheer anxiety,” Kaila said, choking back tears.

Tracey’s friend, Gayle Knight, described her as a caring and loving person. “She had placed Uri in the seat and, of course, the baby kept sliding out and that’s when she picked her up and was holding her,” Knight testified.

The defense only called one witness—Tracey’s husband and Uriel’s grandfather, Nun Nix. He performed CPR on Schock but was unable to save her life. Tracey did not testify in her own defense.

Body camera footage was also shown in court, revealing moments where Tracey struggled to come to terms with the tragedy. In the video, she can be heard telling investigators, “I don’t want to face anybody. I can’t face my daughter. I cannot do that.”

The jury deliberated for just over two and a half hours before reaching the verdict.

Prosecutor Timothy Coleman, in his opening statement, said, “7-month-old Uriel Schock died alone and forgotten, trapped in a hot car.”

Defense attorney William Fletcher argued that Nix’s actions, while tragic, did not constitute culpable negligence.

Tracey was remanded into custody following the verdict and will await sentencing, which is scheduled for April 3. She faces up to eight years in prison.

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