"I (was) telling him, 'No. Stop, please. This is your daughter. She loves you,' and he's still doing it," the grieving woman recalled.
Trigger Warning: This article contains details of child abuse that may be distressing to readers.
A heartbroken mother alleged that her husband killed their 2-year-old daughter and that she saw her child's last moments alive on FaceTime. Zevaya Flanagan's mother, Kairsten Watson, believes the 25-year-old suspect, Deontray Flanagan, didn't want them to move on without him. He was upset with Watson because she was reportedly talking to another man.
Deontray Flanagan 25-years-old is charged with murder in the death of his 2-year-old daughter. Sheriff Gonzalez says he threatened to harm the child if mom didn’t hand over phone and passcode. When she did he took the child on a high speed chase. @FOX26Houston pic.twitter.com/hxG5khhBUo
— Gabby Hart (@GabbyHartNews) March 20, 2023
According to Watson, the Texas father took their child from daycare and subsequently killed her. She also claimed that the Harris County Sheriff's Office knew Flanagan was dangerous and the violent attack could have been prevented. The concerned mother said she called the police several times just days before the murder. "I told them over and over and over that something was going to be wrong," Watson told ABC13. "They could have at least tried to find him, but even with his past, no. I said, 'Are y'all going to wait until something happens to her?'"
Watson believes that her baby would have been alive today if officials had listened to her before. She recalled her daughter's last moments alive, which she watched on FaceTime during a 45-minute police chase with Zevaya unbuckled in the car. "She was on his lap, and she was gasping for air, and he had his arm around her neck squeezing tighter," Watson recalled. "He said, 'This is what you made me do. All you care about is that man.' I (was) telling him, 'No. Stop, please. This is your daughter. She loves you,' and he's still doing it."
“She worshipped him.” 2 y/o Zevaya Flanagan’s mom can’t process what her last moments were like. Dad Deontray Flanagan is charged w/killing toddler during pursuit + allegedly FaceTiming assault. Family + what happened today in court: @KHOU at 4,5,6 https://t.co/QXQtj8ha2X #khou11 pic.twitter.com/AvsjiVGNo3
— Jason Miles (@JMilesKHOU) March 22, 2023
According to KHOU 11, two days after allegedly killing the toddler, Flanagan was charged with a bond that was originally set at $1 million Tuesday but a judge raised it to $2 million on Wednesday, March 22. "All I was trying to do was provide for my daughter and like move on and I guess he just didn’t want that," said Watson. "Didn’t want that for us.” Watson remains heartbroken thinking about what her daughter might have gone through in her final moments. "I know in her mind she probably was just like 'what did I do?' said Watson through tears. "'Why are you doing this to me for? Like I love you, why are you hurting me?'” Zevaya’s grandfather also watched her final moments as Flanagan kept demanding the password to Watson's phone. Curtis Watson was hopeful things might end peacefully as they tried to reason with the suspect. "But then he showed me the lifeless corpse of my granddaughter," Curtis said. "I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. To have to go through that type of anguish and pain.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for the grieving family. According to the description on the page, "The baby was then airlifted to a nearby level one trauma center when she was pronounced dead."
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Cover Image Source: YouTube | KHOU 11
