Joanne Zephir Florida mom to face death penalty in strangling death of 3 year old daughter and attempted murder of her 8 year old sister whom she both made drink bleach moments before a day after stabbing their father. Parent blamed voodoo spell as case now heads to trial.
A Florida mother who is to stand trial for forcing her two daughters, ages 3 and eight to drink bleach before strangling one of them to death after stabbing their father has claimed she was under the influence of a voodoo spell.
Joanne Zephir, 38, of Osceola County is scheduled to face trial for the murder of her 3 year old daughter along with the attempted strangling murder of her 8 year old and the attempted stabbing murder of their father on May 7.
The upcoming court date comes as Florida prosecutors on Tuesday indicated that they would seek the death penalty against the parent, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Was under the influence of a voodoo spell
The trial is moving forward after Zephir was found competent to stand trial in December after a psychological evaluation, according to court records.
An Osceola County grand jury indicted Zephir for first-degree murder with a weapon in February. She was also indicted on attempted first-degree murder with a weapon and attempted murder with a weapon.
Investigators say Zephir was already facing an arrest warrant for attempted murder after her husband was stabbed a day before Mother’s Day, 2022. According to an arrest affidavit, Zephir told a family member that she was going to turn herself in to deputies but wanted to spend some time with her children beforehand.
Deputies say they instead found Zephir outside a church in Poinciana. They say she made the two children drink bleach and strangled the three-year-old to death. They say she also tried to kill herself.
The husband and 8-year-old survived. Investigators found the mother passed out in her car near the crime scene, with the body of the 3 year old in the car with the mother.
Zephir told officers after her arrest that she was under the influence of a ‘voo-doo’ spell that had led her to harm her children, Fox 10 reported.
The office said the decision to seek the harshest punishment was based on several factors including Zephir having custody of the victim and the victim being under twelve.
