An Osceola County mother has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to heinous acts against her own family. Joanne Zephir, age 39, was convicted of first-degree murder with a weapon and two counts of attempted first-degree murder with a weapon. Zephir's despicable actions included forcing her children to drink bleach, leading to the death of her 3-year-old daughter and the poisoning of her 8-year-old daughter, as reported by ClickOrlando.
According to court records, the gut-wrenching incident took place in May 2022 at a Poinciana church parking lot. Zephir had already stabbed her husband, Jameson Edouard, over an alleged dispute regarding infidelity by the time deputies found her. Speaking only Creole, she tried to plead that her actions were beyond her control, claiming that a "vodoo spell" must have been cast on her by someone, as she told deputies—one of the tidbits gleaned from an account by ClickOrlando. The charges stemming from the altercation with her husband were later amalgamated into the Osceola County plea agreement.
The State Attorney's Office noted that the sentence delivered serves justice while granting closure to the community. "State Attorney [Monique] Worrell believes this sentence is an appropriate and just outcome for the case, ensuring justice is served while also providing closure to the victims, their loved ones, and the community," shared Sydney McCloud, the director of communications for the State Attorney's Office in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, with Around Osceola. These remarks underscore the gravity of the crimes and the desired finality of the case's resolution.
