The parents of a 12-year-old boy in Florida have been arrested for allegedly killing him. The boy was homeschooled and spent almost his entire life indoors before dying “severely dehydrated” and “extremely emaciated” earlier this year.
Qwentosha Massaquoi, 46, and Louis Massaquoi, 47, were arrested on Wednesday and charged with one count each of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse in connection with the boy’s horrific death, according to court records.
According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, at approximately 7:36 a.m. on Jan. 27, 2025, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a medical assistance call after Louis Massaquoi called 911 and reported that “his son was weak and possibly passed away.”
Emergency medical personnel discovered the boy unresponsive at home and attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at around 7:57 a.m., police said.
During the investigation, the parents allegedly stated that the child had been “feeling sick over the past few days,” describing symptoms such as constipation, vomiting, a hard abdomen, and loss of appetite.
When asked why they did not seek medical attention for their son, the Massaquois “claimed that medical treatment was against their religious beliefs,” though “no specific denomination could be provided,” according to the affidavit.
Doctors reported that the child was “severely dehydrated, malnourished, and extremely emaciated.” An autopsy performed by the medical examiner revealed that the victim “presented with obvious signs of malnourishment and was emaciated with all bones visible.” The autopsy report also stated that the child was “only wearing a diaper” at the time of his death.
A warrant was issued for electronic devices at the home. Both parents’ cellphones were seized, and investigators downloaded the contents, including videos.
A review of the footage revealed a series of disturbing and harrowing videos of the victim’s parents taunting the dehydrated child with water, as well as multiple incriminating internet searches about his condition, according to the affidavit.
The videos purportedly show the victim’s father “mocking, taunting, and denying the decedent basic nourishment, such as water, when he asked for it.”
The father was also allegedly seen “poking the decedent with a stick and making fun of him for wearing a diaper.”
“Videos were found of Louis Sr. taunting and making fun of the decedent by saying ‘oh, your thirsty, oh you want water, you always want water,’ another where Louis Sr. makes fun of the decedent for wearing diaper, another where Louis Sr. takes bottle of water from the decedent and says he can’t have it and you can hear the decedent asking for the water,” according to the declaration. “Louis Sr. is also seen mocking the decedent about always being thirsty.”
Investigators stated that both parents were present when the alleged videos were recorded, “demonstrating that both parents were maliciously torturing, punishing, and mistreating the decedent.”
In addition to the alleged torment videos, investigators said they discovered footage of the victim appearing healthy just a few weeks before his death.
“Videos were found to show the decedent dancing and speaking, and the decedent appeared to he in good health up until approximately October,” according to the lawsuit. “After October, the decedent began to look unhealthy due to weight loss and loss of color in his face.”
According to the affidavit, internet searches on one of the parents’ phones revealed that in the days preceding their son’s death, they searched for “unexplained weight loss,” causes of a “distended (swollen) abdomen,” “life insurance needs calculator,” “excessive thirst,” and “urinary incontinence,” among other things.
Searches on the second phone were far more damning, with questions like “what to do when a child dies” and “what to do when a person dies in Florida,” both of which occurred about 10 minutes before the parents called 911, according to the affidavit. The call log also revealed that the phone made two calls to a local funeral home at approximately the same time.
Investigators also discovered that in May 2025, the victim’s mother had oral surgery and received a blood transfusion, demonstrating that the parents’ claim about medical care being inconsistent with their beliefs was false, according to police.
The parents are currently being held without bond at the Lee County Jail and are set to appear in court for their arraignment on July 21.
