A Florida mother may never see the outside of a prison again after she was sentenced today in the murder of her own son, but his legacy will live on in a law inspired by his short life.
Charisse Stinson, 23, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after killing her son in 2018, per WFLA News. Her son, Jordan Belliveau, was just 2-years-old when she committed the heinous crime. After accepting a plea deal, Stinson was convicted of second-degree murder in Pinellas County, Florida. She also pled guilty to making a false report and will pay the Largo Police Department close to $28K.
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In 2018, Stinson said her son was abducted after she accepted a ride from a stranger. She claimed the person knocked her out then ran off with Jordan. An Amber Alert was issued and an almost 60-hour search took place before the boy was found in a wooded area around the Largo Sports Complex. An autopsy showed he was killed by blunt force trauma.
Stinson said in a jailhouse interview last week that she’s sorry about what happened to her son, who she admitted she struck, knocking his head into a wall.
“I was just in a dark – I hated everything,” she said. “I hated life, I hated myself. I didn’t know how to love. I loved my son. And I was so disappointed in myself because he did not deserve what happened to him at all. No child deserves that.”
After already serving two years in jail, the mother addressed the court on Tuesday after she received her sentence which she said he agrees with.
“That’s a long time, but I will walk with my head held high,” she said.
“I want the court to know that I am not the same Charisse I was when I walked in, I have done a lot of things to change, and I’ll continue to change. … For a while, I was so angry and bitter before I came to jail. And now I’m free, mentally.”
She goes on to add, “I am not in bondage anymore, and that is the gift God has given me,” she added. “I want to thank my son for that.”
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In June, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed Jordan’s Law in recognition of the boy. Child welfare services say they missed several signs that could have saved Jordan’s life. According to FloridaPolitics.com, the law will reduce caseloads and streamline communication between parents, law enforcement, and caseworkers to better identify when children are in danger.
“I pray that the Jordan Law prevents this [another situation like hers] from happening,” Stinson said. “I pray that my situation prevents this from happening. This is a tragedy.”
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