Florida couple indicted for murder of young boy who died shortly after mother wanted to ‘put him for adoption’

Florida Mother and Stepfather Indicted for First-Degree Murder in Child’s Tragic Death

In a heartbreaking and shocking case, a Florida mother and stepfather face first-degree murder charges following the death of a 6-year-old child named Anthony Rouse in April. The accused, Tre Seymore (27) and Alize Seymore (25), allegedly subjected the young boy to repeated abuse, even coercing and rewarding other children in their household to harm him, according to officials who spoke with FOX 13.

The tragic investigation began when authorities found Anthony drowning in their Winter Haven, Florida home on April 22. The couple claimed they had sent Anthony to take a bath as a punishment for soiling himself. However, they left him unattended for at least 20 minutes, alleging the bathroom door was locked.

Tre Seymore later reported that he found the child face down in the water when he finally managed to enter the bathroom and called 911. Unfortunately, Anthony did not regain consciousness and was declared dead on April 24.

Tre and Alize now face a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse by aggravated battery, aggravated manslaughter of a child, tampering in a felony life capital proceeding, child abuse, and causing a minor to become delinquent, dependent, or needy.

An inspection of their home revealed appalling conditions. The bathroom lacked both electricity and windows, and the children’s bedroom had no power either. Authorities discovered that the bedrooms were locked from the outside. Inside one of the bedrooms, soiled clothing was found, along with feces on the walls. Shockingly, a dog cage was discovered in the garage, used as a cruel form of punishment for the 6-year-old.

An autopsy uncovered signs of abuse, including scars from previous physical harm. Two other children living in the house disclosed that they were rewarded with candy and food for harming Anthony and placing him in the dog cage. They described Tre’s horrifying “swimming” punishment, which was essentially drowning, with his head held underwater.

One of these children also reported that Alize threatened to strangle him if he revealed the truth about Tre’s actions towards the 6-year-old.

Text messages exchanged between the couple revealed disturbing conversations:

• April 15, 2023, 12:58 a.m.:
  • Alize: “Couldn’t get him out and honestly don’t want him out.”
  • Tre: “Why can’t you just do it the right way until you can sign him over to an agency? What is the point of compromising EVERYTHING just for a sick, twisted way of revenge? It serves no purpose and it doesn’t work.”
  • Alize: “Man boy, it was ok when u was doing it tho, Gtfoh.”
• April 21, 2023, 5:14 p.m.:
  • Alize: “I wanna put him up for adoption.”

The child’s biological father, Andre Rouse, expressed his grief, remembering his son as always being energetic and playful. He stated, “It’s really tough to digest and keep in your head. I told them multiple times I would take him.”

The couple was arrested in May, following felony warrants issued by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies. The Florida Department of Children and Families has taken custody of the other two children from their home.

This harrowing case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable children and ensuring their safety.