A Volusia County mother has been sentenced to 32 years in prison after investigators say her 14-year-old son died severely malnourished, dehydrated, and weighing just 33 pounds.

Talia Nelson pleaded no contest Monday to aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse, according to the State Attorney's Office.

What investigators found

Nelson's son died on Jan. 1, 2024. Authorities said the teen showed clear signs of long-term neglect and physical abuse. He had fresh bruises on his face, scars across his body, and weighed less than an average 7-year-old.

An autopsy ruled the death a homicide.

Investigators say Nelson initially told police her son suffered from a rare bone disease, lactose intolerance, and bulimia. Detectives later discovered she had not taken him to a doctor since June 2020.

The State Attorney's Office says Nelson "physically abused, and ultimately murdered" her son.

How the case unfolded

Daytona Beach police were called to Nelson's home on Carolina Lake Drive on Jan. 1 after receiving a report about an unresponsive child. Officers found the teen in an emaciated condition and rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Nelson was arrested weeks later and booked into jail on Feb. 9, 2024.

Reaction from prosecutors

State Attorney R.J. Larizza called the case one of the most disturbing his office has seen.

"It is incomprehensible for a mother to neglect and torture her own flesh and blood to the extent we uncovered in this case," Larizza said in a statement. "How could she watch her son suffer for weeks and months and years until he weighed less than a typical 7-year-old? Heartless and cruel are words that come to mind."

Nelson will serve 32 years in state prison.