WAUCHULA, Fla. – A choose sentenced Tracey Nix to 5 years in jail after an emotional listening to on Thursday, practically two-and-a-half years after her toddler granddaughter died in a sizzling automobile in Hardee County.
Nix was convicted in January of leaving a toddler unattended in a car inflicting nice bodily hurt, however the jury discovered her not responsible of aggravated manslaughter.
Pictured: Tracey Nix in court docket throughout her trial in January 2025.
Case towards Tracey Nix
The backstory:
Nix left 7-month-old Uriel Schock within the automobile after returning to her Hardee County house from lunch with associates on Nov. 1, 2022.
Temperatures reached the 90s that afternoon earlier than the child was faraway from the automobile.
Photograph of Uriel Schock. (Courtesy: Kaila Nix.)
At Nix’s trial, which was held in Polk County, prosecutors referred to as greater than a dozen witnesses. They included Tracey’s daughter, Kaila Nix-Schock, the mom of the child who died.
Buddies who met Tracey Nix for lunch that day additionally testified, saying they’d identified her for many years and she or he was a loving grandmother. Nix declined to testify in her personal protection.
Pictured: Tracey Nix in court docket throughout her trial in January 2025.
Jurors additionally heard the 911 name from one other member of the family, and watched a Hardee County detective’s bodycam video from the afternoon of Nov. 1, 2022.
Nix confronted as much as 30 years in jail if convicted of aggravated manslaughter, however the jury acquitted her of that cost whereas discovering her responsible of leaving a toddler unattended in a car inflicting nice bodily hurt.
Two of Tracey Nix’s grandchildren died in her care lower than a 12 months aside.Â
Dig deeper:
Uriel was the second grandchild to die whereas in Nix’s care. In December 2021, 16-month-old Ezra died after he opened doorways, went underneath a fence and wandered right into a pond outdoors Nix’s Wauchula house, in keeping with deputies.
Expenses in that case have been finally dropped, and the trial choose dominated it couldn’t be talked about to the jury within the sizzling automobile case.
Emotional sentencing listening to
What they’re saying:
Child Uriel’s father, Drew Schock, turned emotional throughout Thursday’s sentencing listening to as he talked in regards to the additional steps he and Kaila Nix-Schock had taken to guard Uriel after the dying of Ezra.
“There are some stuff you don’t take into consideration, and as mother and father now we have to reside with that for the remainder of our lives,” Schock stated.
“She’s completed this twice and the truth that we’re debating whether or not she deserves jail time is simply insane to me,” Schock stated moments later.
Drew Schock speaks on the sentencing listening to for Tracey Nix on April 3, 2025.
Kaila Nix-Schock additionally confirmed robust emotion within the courtroom on Thursday, turning on to her mom whereas speaking in regards to the trauma she continues to endure after the deaths of two of her youngsters.
“I nonetheless love you. I hate this,” Nix-Schock stated by means of tears. “I hate that I’ve to decide on, however you understand I needed to. However it does not change my coronary heart.”
Kaila Nix-Schock speaks on the sentencing listening to for Tracey Nix on April 3, 2025.
Tracey Nix additionally testified in her personal protection throughout the listening to, talking tearfully to Kaila at one level.
“I really like you and I’ve all the time beloved you with all my coronary heart,” Nix stated. “I let you know that as a result of I am unable to think about how I’d have acted and reacted had you been taken from me.”
Tracey Nix speaks throughout her sentencing listening to on April 3, 2025.
Moments later, Nix talked at size for the primary time in regards to the day throughout which Uriel was left within the automobile.
“I did not notice that Uriel was within the automobile,” Nix stated. “I actually forgot for a protracted time period.”
“I am damaged about what occurred,” Nix continued. “I do not wish to go away anybody with the thought that I am making excuses as a result of I am not.”
Tracey Nix’s husband, Nun Ney Nix, spoke on behalf of the protection as effectively.
“Tracey mourned in silence,” he stated, including that his spouse hardly ever went outdoors and “the times appeared to run collectively” within the aftermath of Uriel’s dying.
Nun Ney Nix speaks on the sentencing listening to for Tracey Nix on April 3, 2025.
Prosecutors requested the choose to condemn Nix to 5 years in jail, whereas the protection argued for a lesser sentence.
The choose, nonetheless, stated Nix confirmed no regret for what occurred, imposing the utmost five-year sentence.
What’s subsequent:
Nix will serve her five-year sentence with credit score for time already served.
The Supply: Info for this story got here from a sentencing listening to on April 3, 2025, with further particulars from earlier FOX 13 Information reviews.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
