Patricia Saintizaire, a 36-year-old woman, is facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and tampering with a witness following the death of her 4-year-old adopted son, Bryan Boyer. Saintizaire adopted Bryan from Haiti and brought him to the United States in April 2023 when he was just three years old, as per the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation into Bryan’s death has revealed disturbing details. Sheriff Grady Judd expressed his shock and disgust at a news conference, stating that video evidence showed Bryan’s hands tied behind his back before being thrown into a swimming pool.
The tragic events leading to Bryan’s death began on May 1, when he returned home from school in a normal state, showing no signs of injury. According to authorities, an older sibling was in another room for approximately two hours and was unaware of what transpired with Bryan until Saintizaire asked the teen to bring food to him. The teen found Bryan unable to walk, struggling to sit up, lethargic, and unresponsive.
Despite Bryan’s condition, Saintizaire insisted he was “faking it” and urged the teen to feed him. However, Bryan was unable to eat and soon lost consciousness. The older sibling began performing CPR and urged Saintizaire to take Bryan to the hospital. Bryan was initially taken to a hospital in Davenport, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was airlifted to a hospital in Orlando, where he later died.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to Bryan’s death on May 2, when hospital staff reported the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a 4-year-old child. An autopsy revealed that Bryan had been subjected to severe physical abuse. He had a significant tear in his spleen, which the medical examiner attributed to a hard strike to the abdomen. The autopsy also revealed layers of bruises and injuries from previous beatings, scarring on his back, and a deep laceration on his liver caused by blunt force trauma. The cause of death was ruled as assault/blunt force trauma, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.
In addition to the video of Bryan being thrown into the pool, another video showed Saintizaire beating him while he lay face down on the floor, offering no resistance. Despite the evidence, Saintizaire denied ever using physical discipline as punishment. Her husband confirmed to detectives that she was the primary disciplinarian in the household.
The 16-year-old sibling initially denied any abuse or witnessing abuse to investigators. However, after being placed in child protective custody and with Saintizaire in jail, he admitted that she had instructed him to remain silent to avoid getting her into trouble. He also revealed that she had threatened to kill him with a gun.
Despite the horrific abuse Bryan suffered, school staff reported that he was a happy child. Sheriff Judd expressed his disbelief at the extent of the abuse and neglect Bryan endured. He offered a small consolation, stating that Bryan was now “in the arms of God” and free from the abuse he suffered. Saintizaire is scheduled for arraignment on June 11, according to online court records.