A Florida mother was left with mixed feelings after a jury found her mother not guilty of manslaughter in the death of her daughter.
Tracey Nix, 67, was convicted Wednesday of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes causing great bodily harm in the November 2022 death of her 7-month-old granddaughter Uriel Schock.
But a jury found her not guilty of aggravated manslaughter of a child.
After the verdict, Nix was walked out of the Hardee County courtroom in handcuffs as she will be held in custody until her sentencing in April. WFLA reports.
The sight caused her daughter, Kaila Nix, to leave the courtroom – despite previously saying her mother should go to prison for allowing both of her children to die within a year.
“I was relieved to hear that there would be accountability, ownership and a conclusion to this part of the story,” Kaila told reporters after the verdict.
But, she said, she and Uriel’s father, Drew Schock, “struggled” with the “exclusion of my other story, which was my son who drowned in her care.”
“And so for us, this is a victory for Uri, but I have a son named Ezra, and he’s not talked about enough. And he died in her care.”
Tracey Nix, 67, was convicted of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes causing great bodily harm, but was acquitted of Uriel Schock’s November 2022 death of her seven-month-old granddaughter. But a jury found her not guilty of aggravated manslaughter of a child
Her daughter, Kaila Nix, said she was “relieved” by the verdict – although she was seen leaving the courtroom as her mother was led out in handcuffs.
Prosecutors had alleged that Tracey deliberately left Uriel in a vehicle when temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit while she practiced piano in her home
Drew then said he’s “just thankful we got something.”
“I didn’t want to walk out of there and see her walk away like she has been the last two years and just be on the road,” he said. according to WTSP.
‘I was happy to see that the jury saw our side of it, even though they didn’t push for the maximum sentence. It was still, as I said, a form of justice.”
A lawyer representing Tracey also said he considered the aggravated manslaughter acquittal a “victory.”
‘I would like to thank the jury. They did their job. They made an appropriate decision in this case,” Bill Fletcher said, although he noted he plans to appeal the guilty verdict.
Prosecutors had alleged that Tracey deliberately left Uriel in a vehicle when temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit while she practiced piano in her home.
Kaila had left her child with her mother while she went to get her hair done, and said she knew her mother had lunch plans, but she trusted the friends her mother met.
It was after Tracey and Uriel arrived home that the grandmother left the girl in the car and later told police she “simply forgot” to get her out of the car.
Tracey was remanded in custody until her sentencing in April
By the time Kaila’s sister, Rebecca Tucker, arrived at her parents’ home in Wauchula, she saw the baby’s grandfather, Nun Ney Nix, giving Uriel CPR. Fox 13 reports.
Tucker then called the police, a recording of which was presented to jurors over the course of the two-day trial.
“Her eyes are open, she’s not moving or breathing,” Tucker said.
Her mother could then be heard asking how long Uriel had been in the car, to which Nix replied, “A while.”
When police arrived on the scene, Nix told investigators, “I don’t want to be confronted by anyone. I can’t face my daughter. I can’t do that,” according to body camera footage played in court.
She refused to talk about the tragedy for days, and her husband eventually sent her to a mental health facility to help her come to terms with what happened.
Uriel’s death occurred just months after Kaila’s 16-month-old son, Ezra Schock (pictured), drowned while in Tracey’s care.
Uriel’s death occurred just months after Kaila’s 16-month-old son, Ezra Schock, drowned while in Tracey’s care.
He had managed to open the door and climb under a fence on Tracey’s property, and walked to a nearby pond, where he drowned while Tracey slept in December 2021.
Kaila, who had an older son named Asher and was six months pregnant with Uriel at the time, rushed to her parents’ house, driving 85 miles per hour, and suffered a head-on collision along the way as she watched a helicopter drive toward their address .
“I could see the helicopter landing,” she recalled to WSVN. ‘I didn’t look when there was a stop sign.
“All my airbags went off, I don’t remember how I got out, but I got out and ran to my parents’ house and right now I have no shoes left. I’m just running.
“That was my desperation to get to my son.”
But by the time she got to the house, Ezra was already dead.
Ezra had managed to open a door, climb under a fence on Tracey’s property and walk into a nearby pond while his grandmother was sleeping.
Police had attempted to file charges against Nix at the time, but the Florida Attorney’s Office “stated that a one-time error in judgment would not result in culpable negligence on the part of the concierge.”
But when the parents were forced to return to Tracey’s home in November 2022, Drew said he started having flashbacks.
“When I pulled up to the house, I’m coming to pick up my little girl, and there’s ambulances there, and I’m thinking, ‘What’s going on?’ he said Fox 13.
“I had flashbacks because when I came back with Ezra, it was the exact same scene.”
Police showed up at Kaila’s door to share the heartbreaking news, but the mother was confused.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, what? I know Ezra’s dead. Why are you here, like what – what is this?'” Kaila recalled. ‘[He said:] “No Kaila, your baby is dead.”
“You couldn’t believe this would happen twice,” Drew said. ‘Someone has to answer for that.
Drew is pictured with their eldest son Asher and late son Ezra at an unknown time
But in court, Fletcher portrayed the tragedy as an accident and implored jurors Wednesday not to “make this terrible situation worse by convicting Tracey Nix of something she is not guilty of.”
He also noted in his opening remarks that Tracey was a former teacher, principal and church member who he said “just made a mistake.”
Fletcher now plans to use expert testimony that could not be brought up during this trial, stating that Nix took double the dose of Ambien than she was prescribed when she looked at Uriel that day.
“She’s very well known and respected, and it was actually the medication,” he insisted to Fox 13.
But as he prepares his case, Kaila said she will continue to push for answers as to why charges were never filed in Ezra’s case, and Drew said they now plan to spend time with their eldest son, Asher, and a newborn daughter.
“We will always think about our children,” he said, adding, “It’s one day at a time.”