The courtroom was silent as 25-year-old Lauren Price heard the verdict — guilty of second-degree murder and child neglect. Her one-year-old daughter, Ava, had been found dead in their Tallahassee apartment, emaciated and alone. When asked if she had anything to say, Lauren whispered, “I didn’t mean for her to die.” But it was far too late.
Police discovered Ava wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by trash and empty bottles. The medical examiner ruled she died from starvation and dehydration. Prosecutors described Lauren as a mother consumed by addiction and apathy, partying while her baby suffered. Her defense claimed postpartum depression and abandonment by Ava’s father had left her mentally broken.
When photos of Ava were shown in court, even jurors looked away. Lauren wept as her mother cried out, “Why did you do this?” Judge Rebecca Marsh, holding back tears, called it “one of the most tragic cases I’ve ever seen.”
Lauren Price was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Outside, Ava’s grandparents vowed her memory would inspire change through the Ava Grace Foundation, helping struggling mothers before tragedy strikes again.
