TAVARES, Fla. – A mother was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the murder of her 10-year-old son, who was tortured to death in Tavares last year.
Kimberley Mills, 38, along with her boyfriend Andre Walker, were indicted on first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges in the death of Xavier Williams, who died in February 2025.
[VIDEO: Florida mother accused of torturing her son to death expected to change her plea]
Mills originally pleaded not guilty before changing her plea on Wednesday and agreeing to testify against Walker, who faces the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.
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“Our focus has always been justice for this child and accountability for those responsible,” Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney, said in a statement. “Mills’ plea, which includes truthful testimony against her co-defendant, strengthens our ability to pursue that goal and ensures the full story is brought before the court. In doing so, Mills will spend the rest of her life incarcerated. I have no doubt she will think of Xavier every waking day and regret the pain and suffering she made him endure while she repeatedly endures her own.”
Mills and Walker were arrested both in February after the two took Xavier to the hospital, police said.
Investigators later revealed that they believed the couple left the hospital to go back to their home and do a “hasty cleanup.”
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According to detectives, Mills later returned with the boy’s younger brother, who told investigators about how “he and his older brother suffered unspeakable torment.”
Per investigators, a search of the home yielded a ladder, a 10-pound weight, and duct tape — items used to restrain the 10-year-old with his hands above his head while the weight was intentionally dropped onto his exposed torso.
“The death of Xavier is one of the most heartbreaking crimes our community has ever faced. While no outcome can truly bring justice for such a loss, the plea agreement ensures that Kimberley Mills will spend the rest of her life in prison and that her cooperation will help hold Andre Walker fully accountable for his heinous acts. Our department remains committed to seeking justice for Xavier and to honoring his life through the pursuit of truth and accountability,” Chief Sarah Coursey of the Tavares Police Department said in a release.
The couple was originally arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated child abuse, after investigators said there was clear evidence in the case, including a ladder, a 10-pound weight, and duct tape they say was used to torment the boy and his younger brother.
Walker’s trial is scheduled to happen later this year.