Mother Faces Charges for Allegedly Keeping Daughter Captive Since 2017, Denies Her Food, and Education

In a shocking incident reported by Miami-Dade Police Department investigators, a nine-year-old girl, allegedly confined to her own home in Florida since 2017, had to plead for food. 

The child's mother, Kelli McGriff-Williams, aged 42, appeared in court on Thursday, pleading not guilty to a serious child neglect charge.

According to the arrest report, McGriff-Williams is accused of preventing her daughter from leaving their Miami residence between 2017 and 2023, keeping her confined to a bedroom for most of that time. 

Police stated in their report that "the victim would have to ask for food, and the defendant did not always provide it."

This distressing situation came to light on August 26 when officers responded to the home following an investigation by the Florida Department of Children and Families. 

McGriff-Williams, who admitted to the allegations, was subsequently involuntarily admitted to Jackson South Hospital under the Baker Act criteria due to her altered mental state, as per the arrest report.

Additionally, McGriff-Williams faces accusations of failing to enroll her daughter in school, resulting in the child never receiving an education. "The victim is unable to read and write," as noted in the police report. "The defendant has never taken the victim to a doctor, even when she has been very ill."

The child's father, whose name remains undisclosed, informed the police that he had been attempting to gain custody since 2017 and corroborated the allegations of neglect. 

On September 1, after her hospital discharge, McGriff-Williams was taken into custody, with her bond set at $5,000.

 

In another news, a two brothers and a teenager has been sentenced to death for the murder of a young man in Ilford. See detailed story here

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