Brevard County, Fla. – In a dramatic turn of events, a judge ruled on Thursday that there was not even probable cause to arrest Belle Winter, a Brevard County mother previously indicted on charges of felony murder and aggravated child abuse in the 2021 death of her two-month-old son.
Patrick J. Landy Jr., lead counsel for Winter, issued a strong statement following the ruling by Judge Crawford:
“At today’s hearing, Judge Crawford correctly ruled that there was NOT even probable cause to arrest my client for Felony Murder OR Aggravated Child abuse,” Landy said. “During the all-day evidentiary hearing, through thorough and aggressive cross examination, I was able to get the Lead Case Agent on this case to admit that even he did NOT believe there was probable cause to arrest my client and that he did NOT believe she had committed or was a principal to ANY crime whatsoever. She will finally be released tonight.”
Landy added that he and his client look forward to a swift dismissal of all charges.
Case Background
Winter, 23, was indicted earlier this year on charges stemming from the June 1, 2021 death of her infant son. Deputies responded to a Merritt Island apartment after reports that the baby was unresponsive. The medical examiner later determined the child died from multiple blunt impact head injuries.
Her husband, 26-year-old Donovan Winter, had already been arrested on the same charges two months prior. According to redacted arrest reports, investigators noted that both parents appeared to struggle with the baby’s crying. Text messages from Donovan included statements such as, “I’m tired, he’s screaming, won’t shut up,” and “I’m done with this.”
Both Donovan and Belle Winter were being held in the Brevard County Jail prior to Thursday’s ruling.
What’s Next
With the court determining that probable cause was lacking, Winter is expected to be released. Her attorney has indicated they will push for a full dismissal of charges.
The case remains closely watched in Brevard County, where it has drawn public attention and debate since the initial indictments.
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