South Florida mother accused of starving child to death is denied bond

FORT LAUDERDALE - A South Florida mother who is accused of murder and child abuse in the starvation death of her 7-year-old son was denied bond on Thursday.

Michelle Doe, 37, was arrested Tuesday along with her 21-year-old son, her father and two home health caregivers. Police said all five allowed Deonte Atwell to waste away to just 7 pounds. The boy had medical conditions that required in-home care. He was unable to walk or talk, was on a feeding and breathing tube and required round-the-clock care.

The family called 911 on Christmas Day, when he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. Police said by the time the boy got to the hospital, he had been dead for some time. An autopsy found he died of "severe malnutrition and his bones were protruding through gaping holes in his skin," the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.

Doe spent Thursday in Broward courtrooms. With her wrists in handcuffs, she struggled to sign her name at a dependency hearing.

Doe has two other children who are 9 and 16 years old. Walter Atwell, who is the father of one of them and once lived with Doe, agreed to care for both of the children.

Doe was told she would not be allowed to see her kids.

"Contact at this point in time in the matter would be inappropriate, and detrimental to the children," said Judge Jose Izquierdo.

Prosecutors said Doe allowed her 9 and 16-year-old children to stay in the same bedroom and bed and witness their 7-year-old brother starve to death.

Walter Atwell said outside the court that he didn't want to comment because it would make the situation tougher.