A Leon County grand jury indicted two people on murder charges in the unrelated abuse deaths of two young children, including a child who had been languishing in a coma for more than five years.
Ryan Robinson, 33, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm in the death of a boy who was rushed to the hospital as a 3-month-old on Dec. 21, 2019, with signs of trauma and inflicted abuse. He died July 3 from his injuries.
State Attorney Jack Campbell noted that the indictments, which were issued Sept. 16, amid a string of murders and abuse cases involving babies and young children in Tallahassee. He said he discussed the disturbing trend during a recent meeting with fellow prosecutors, who have also seen an increase in child murders.
“It’s being noticed statewide,” Campbell said. “But in all of my career, I’ve never seen this many children being killed. And it is absolutely heartbreaking.”
Robinson was arrested in 2019 on charges of aggravated child abuse. And while he bonded out of jail at the time, his bond was revoked in 2024, according to court records.
He was home alone with the infant in a Delaney Drive apartment when he claimed to have found bloody discharge from the infant’s nose. He called the boy’s mother, who was at work and called 911.
Doctors, including a child protection pediatrician, said the baby’s injuries were consistent with head trauma and inflicted abuse. Doctors diagnosed the baby with a bilateral retinal hemorrhage — ruptured blood vessels in the eyes — likely caused by the head being struck “against a soft object” with much force, according to an arrest report.
Raymona Ford, 24, also was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with great bodily harm in the May 9 drowning of her 2-year-old son, O’Rhyan Moore.
After a lengthy investigation, Ford was arrested in August. The Tallahassee Police Department said she struck the child multiple times, causing him to suffer seizures and ultimately drown after he was left unattended in the bathtub.
The death of the 2 year old marked the latest in a series of child murders that have left the community reeling and searching for answers.
Melissa “Missy” Mogle, 5, died May 19 after suffering severe child abuse at her Southwood home, according to police and prosecutors. Her mother, Chloe Spencer, and father, Daniel Spencer, have been charged with first-degree murder in a case that raised questions about failures in Florida’s child welfare system.
On July 18, Deric Young, 25, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the brutal death of a 1-year-old girl. Young was the boyfriend of the girl’s baby-sitter.
Campbell indicated that the perpetrators of violence against children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“There are few things more innocent than a child,” Campbell said. “There’s nothing that they could have possibly done to deserve that fate.”
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Never seen this many children being killed’: Tallahassee grand jury indicts two on murder
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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