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Family, friends gather for vigil for 22-month-old who died from child neglect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The family and friends of 22-month-old Zamora Foe gathered for a vigil on Saturday.

The biological father of 22-month-old Zamora Foe told News4JAX his daughter was taken off life support on Sept. 19 and died from injuries that led to her mother and her mother’s boyfriend being arrested and charged with child neglect.

“Today she was unplugged. She’s gone. Officially, there is nothing there. No air. Nothing,” Brandon Foe said of his daughter, Zamora.

Last week, the toddler was rushed to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in critical condition. Ten days later, her organs were donated.

How she ended up in the hospital led to the arrest of her biological mother, 20-year-old Zayla Goodwin, and her mother’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Nathanial Davis. The couple remain in jail on charges of child neglect.

Zamora’s biological dad said he will never forget the moment when police told him that his daughter suffered broken bones throughout her entire body and head.

Zamora (WJXT)

“I broke down the first time I heard about it. I broke down heavily. I didn’t know how to function anymore. I didn’t know how to move anymore,” Foe said.

According to a heavily redacted arrest report, the child was injured inside her mother’s home. The report states that Goodwin told police she was awakened by a commotion in the living room and then discovered her boyfriend performing CPR on her unresponsive daughter.

After doctors spoke to police about the child’s injuries, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office homicide unit was notified, which led to a search warrant being executed on the mother’s home.

Evidence collected at the house combined with statements by both Goodwin and Davis and the result of a medical examination led to the two being arrested.

“That’s going to pay for everything. Her burial. For her to have a gravestone she deserves. It’s murder. She was brutally murdered,” said Sylvia Teers, who is a long-time family friend.

There’s a chance the charges for Goodwin and Davis could be amended to murder now that Zamora has died.


About the Author
Erik Avanier headshot

Award-winning broadcast and multimedia journalist with 20 years experience.

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