In a deeply disturbing incident that unfolded on July 25, 2025, at Auntie Lili’s Daycare in Starke, Florida, 34-year-old Mindy Osteen was charged with the premeditated murder of Christopher Jones, 37—the father of her two children.
Surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts revealed that Jones had arrived to pick up his children when Osteen approached with a backpack concealing a 9mm handgun. After a brief interaction, she fired multiple shots at Jones while he sat in the driver’s seat, having just strapped their children into car seats. As Jones fled toward the daycare, seeking refuge, he became trapped between two locked doors. Osteen followed and fired three more shots at close range, ultimately killing him.
Throughout the attack, their children screamed from inside the vehicle, witnessing the horror unfold. Osteen was heard saying chilling phrases like “Please let the monster die” and “You got to die, Chris. You can’t kill my kids,” suggesting a warped justification for her actions. Jones, bleeding and pleading for help, reportedly responded, “I’m not killing nobody”.
Authorities later discovered that Osteen had stolen the firearm from a man she’d been staying with. She had a prior conviction for domestic battery in 2020 and a history of violent altercations with Jones, including a dropped case in April 2024. Despite claiming self-defense, the evidence—including video footage and witness testimony—painted a picture of calculated violence.
Jones’ sister, Melanie Russo, publicly disputed Osteen’s self-defense claim, describing her brother as a victim of long-term domestic abuse. She emphasized that men can be victims too, and lamented that his cries for help were ignored.
Osteen now faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and grand theft of a firearm. She remains in custody without bond.
The tragedy has left two young boys without both parents, and a community grappling with the trauma of a murder witnessed by children in a place meant to be safe.
