Authorities in central Florida say a young couple walked into a hospital with 5‑month‑old twins so thin that staff could see nearly every bone in their tiny bodies. Investigators now allege the parents had been feeding the infants as if they were still newborns, leaving both babies severely malnourished and dehydrated. The case has sparked outrage not just because of the condition of the children, but because it unfolded in plain sight of basic information every caregiver is expected to know.
What began as a desperate hospital visit has turned into criminal charges, a child welfare investigation, and a hard look at how two infants could waste away while living with their parents. The story that emerges from police affidavits and medical records is not just about one couple’s alleged neglect, but about the thin line between confusion, denial, and criminal responsibility when it comes to caring for the most vulnerable.
The hospital visit that exposed a crisis
According to investigators, the alarm was first raised when the parents brought their 5‑month‑old twins into a Seminole County emergency department looking for help. Staff immediately saw something was very wrong: the babies were described as “extremely malnourished,” with their ribs and limbs so pronounced that one professional said you could see every bone. Deputies in Seminole County were called in once the medical team realized the children’s condition was not the result of a sudden illness.
Medical professionals later told a detective that the twins were frail, with their stomachs sunken and their bones clearly visible under the skin. One report notes that staff described the infants as malnourished to the point where “you can see every bone,” a phrase that has since come to define the horror of the case. Those observations are echoed in charging documents that say the babies weighed less than they did when they left the NICU, despite being 5 months old at the time of the hospital visit, according to medical records.
Who the parents are and what police say happened
The twins’ parents have been identified as Leroy Somers and Madison Smith, a young Florida couple now facing serious criminal charges. In one account, authorities refer to the father as Leroy Somersall III, 24, and the mother as Madison Smith, 23, both charged with child neglect with great bodily harm after taking the malnourished twins to the hospital. Deputies say the family had been living in an RV, and that the twins were not the only children in the home, which added urgency to the investigation into how the babies ended up in such dire shape.
Detectives say Smith told them she and Somersall had been feeding the twins the same way since birth, essentially treating them as if they were still newborns. Instead of increasing the amount and frequency of formula as the babies grew, the couple allegedly stuck to a schedule and quantity that might be appropriate for the first weeks of life but not for 5‑month‑old infants. In interviews described in affidavits, Smith is quoted as saying they brought the babies in when they finally realized something was wrong, a claim that appears in police interviews that now sit at the heart of the case.
Feeding like newborns, growing like they never left the NICU
At the center of the allegations is a simple but devastating claim: the couple kept feeding their 5‑month‑old twins as if they were still in the first days of life. Investigators say the parents admitted they had not increased the babies’ formula as they grew, sticking to a routine that might work for a few weeks but not for infants approaching half a year old. One affidavit notes that the twins weighed less than their NICU discharge weight, a detail that underscores how little progress they had made and is reflected in charging documents describing the twins’ condition.
Medical staff told a Seminole County detective that the children’s appearance was consistent with long‑term underfeeding rather than a sudden medical crisis. According to one report, the twins were described as “extremely malnourished,” with their bones showing and their bodies lacking the fat and muscle expected at 5 months, details that appear in affidavits cited by Medical professionals. The parents reportedly told investigators they believed they were doing enough, but the numbers on the scale and the visible outline of every rib told a different story.
Inside the RV and the weight that did not add up
Once the twins were stabilized, investigators turned their attention to the family’s RV, where the babies had been living with their parents and at least one older child. Deputies who searched the vehicle reported finding no baby formula on hand and no empty containers in the trash, a detail that raised more questions about how often the twins were actually being fed. Those observations are laid out in an affidavit that notes the absence of formula and bottles, as described in search records from the RV.
Authorities also focused on the twins’ weight, comparing their current measurements to hospital records from their time in the NICU. According to one account, both babies weighed less at 5 months than they did when they were discharged, a red flag that suggested chronic undernourishment rather than a short‑term feeding issue. A report by Chris Harris notes that arrest reports highlight this discrepancy, pointing to it as a key piece of evidence that the neglect was ongoing and severe, not a one‑time mistake.
Charges, outrage, and what happens to the twins now
In the days after the hospital visit, Seminole County authorities moved quickly to file charges. The parents were arrested on counts of child neglect with significant bodily harm, a felony that reflects the seriousness of the injuries doctors documented. One report notes that the case is being handled by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, which has detailed how the twins’ weights fell to around 5.7 pounds, far below what would be expected for 5‑month‑old infants.
Public reaction has been swift and emotional, with many people struggling to understand how two babies could become so emaciated without someone stepping in sooner. Commenters have seized on the phrase “You Can See Every Bone,” a line that appears in a widely shared social media post summarizing the allegations, as a shorthand for the cruelty they see in the case. At the same time, child welfare officials have confirmed that the twins are now recuperating under medical supervision after being taken to the hospital on January 6, a detail echoed in charging documents that describe their ongoing recovery.
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