GADSDEN, Ala. — A 35-year-old Alabama woman was arrested Sept. 28 and charged with felony murder after investigators say she subjected her 12-year-old daughter, who had cerebral palsy, to months of severe medical and physical neglect that caused the child’s death in June.
Leslie Denise Wilson was booked into the Etowah County Jail following an investigation launched by the Gadsden Police Department and the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Prosecutors allege the neglect was ongoing and extreme, spanning roughly seven weeks before the girl died on June 17. A judge has since denied Wilson bond, and the case remains an active investigation involving both local and state authorities. It is not yet known whether Wilson has retained an attorney or entered a plea.
Gadsden police initially responded to the home on a report of a natural death. Because of the child’s age and the circumstances surrounding the case, the department’s Juvenile Unit and the Alabama Department of Human Resources opened a joint investigation. That inquiry led to Wilson’s arrest roughly three months later, on Sept. 28. A criminal complaint obtained by multiple outlets states that between May 1 and June 17, Wilson “did torture, willfully mistreat, cruelly beat or otherwise willfully mistreat” her daughter, and that she subjected the child to “ongoing and extreme medical and/or physical neglect causing serious physical injury.” The complaint says the child died as a direct result of those conditions. An Aniah’s Law hearing was held the following day, Sept. 29, to determine whether Wilson should be held without bond.
At the Aniah’s Law hearing, Detective Alec Burgess of the Gadsden Police Department’s Major Crimes Division testified about what he observed when he first arrived at the home. Burgess said the girl was found in a bedroom, malnourished and dehydrated, with marks on her body. He also described conditions consistent with prolonged neglect. According to Burgess, the child — who depended on a feeding tube — weighed only 32 pounds at the time of her death. He testified that younger siblings had been left responsible for caring for the girl and that there was limited food inside the home. The pathologist who conducted the autopsy also testified at the hearing, stating that the child’s teeth were in the worst condition she had ever seen in her career. The autopsy ruled the death a homicide, with sepsis listed as the cause of death. Based on that testimony and evidence presented, Etowah County Judge Joe Nabors ordered Wilson held without bond.
The case draws legal weight from Alabama’s Aniah’s Law, a measure that allows judges to deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent crimes, including murder. The law is named after Aniah Blanchard, an Alabama college student who was abducted and killed in 2019 after her alleged attacker had been released on bail for a prior violent offense. Alabama voters approved the constitutional amendment in 2020, and it has since been applied in cases where prosecutors argue a defendant poses a public safety risk. Wilson’s charge of felony murder falls within the statute’s scope, allowing Judge Nabors to order her detained without the possibility of posting bail. Gadsden police confirmed that the investigation remains open and that both local and state agencies continue to gather evidence. No additional charges had been announced as of the time of reporting, and no co-defendants have been publicly identified.
The criminal complaint describes the alleged neglect as occurring over a period of approximately seven weeks, from May 1 through the date of the child’s death on June 17. Prosecutors allege that during that window, Wilson failed to provide adequate medical care and nutrition to a child whose disability required specialized attention and feeding support. Court records show the girl relied on a feeding tube, which made consistent and attentive caregiving essential to her survival. Investigators say the burden of her daily care had instead fallen on her younger siblings, who were themselves children with limited ability to meet those needs. The Alabama Department of Human Resources was brought into the investigation alongside Gadsden police, reflecting the case’s dual dimensions — both criminal and child welfare. Authorities have not released the child’s name, citing the nature of the case and her age.
Etowah County Assistant Coroner Dantez Robinson spoke publicly about the toll the case has taken on those who responded to the scene. “Seeing a child, because I have children of my own, it’s heartbreaking,” Robinson said. “Prayers are with the family and the parents, and the family that is going through this hard time. Not only with that family, we want to pray for our police department. It’s tough to see our law enforcement going through the same thing because it hurts them also.” Robinson’s remarks came as investigators and coroner’s office staff processed a scene that officials described as among the more difficult cases responders had encountered. Detective Burgess, who testified in detail at the bond hearing, did not make additional public statements beyond his court testimony. Gadsden police did not immediately respond to requests for further comment, and the Alabama Department of Human Resources had not issued a public statement as of the time of publication.
Wilson remains held without bond at the Etowah County Jail. The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet indicated whether additional charges may be filed. The next formal legal step in the case has not been publicly scheduled.
