Tracey Nix, a grandmother in Wauchula, Florida, tragically left her 16-month-old grandson, Uriel Schock, in the backseat of an SUV with the windows rolled up, on a day when the temperature outside reached 90 degrees. Nun Ney Nix, Tracey’s husband, attempted to revive the baby with CPR, however, it was too late. Shockingly, this was not the first death of a child under Tracey’s care. Less than a year ago, another one of Tracey’s grandchildren passed away while she was supposed to be watching them.
On December 23, 2021, when Uriel’s father, Drew Schock, was informed of his son’s death, his wife, Kaila, rushed to her parents’ home. Driving at speeds of up to 85 mph on country roads, Kaila became distracted by a helicopter and ran through a stop sign, resulting in a head-on collision with another car. Kaila, who was 6 months pregnant at the time, recalled running to her parents’ house without any shoes.
Kaila’s doctor advised her to avoid any stressful situations that could cause her to lose her pregnancy. As a result, the deputy allegedly withheld information from Kaila about the incident report of Uriel’s death. Kaila and Drew never saw the report, and the deputy told Kaila that unless she believed her mother intentionally killed her son, there was nothing else to do.
In response to the tragedy, the state attorney’s office said there wasn’t enough evidence to establish culpable negligence. However, Tracey was charged with aggravated manslaughter. Her attorney, William Fletcher, said she is “totally devastated” and there are “no winners here.” If found guilty, she could receive a sentence of between 12 and 30 years in prison.
Kaila has stated that she wants justice for her son, and that she will fight for it. She also named her daughter Uriel, which means “God is my light” in Hebrew, as a reminder that light will prevail.