Jordan Belliveau's Mother Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison

LARGO, FL — In a case that pressured the Florida Legislature to make major revisions to Florida's child welfare system, a Largo mother pleaded guilty Tuesday of second-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old son in Largo in 2018.

Charisse Stinson, 23, was sentenced to 50 years in prison with two years already served.

In a statement during her sentencing hearing, Stinson said she's not the same person who was arrested after being accused of striking her son, Jordan Belliveau, burying him in a shallow grave near a Largo recreation center and then reporting him missing.

“I want the court to know that I am not the same Charisse I was when I walked in,” she told Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court Judge Michael Andrews. “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. I may not be free physically but I want my mom to know I'm free mentally. I am not in bondage anymore, and that is the gift God has given me. I want to thank my son for that.”

After a 60-hour search that involved hundreds of law enforcement personnel and community volunteers, Jordan Belliveau's body was found in some woods Sept. 4, 2018.

Stinson told Largo Police that her son was kidnapped by a man who gave her and Jordan a ride to a friend's house, prompting the police to send out an Amber Alert and launch an extensive search for the little boy.

Stinson eventually admitted to getting frustrated with her son and hitting him with the back of her hand, knocking him into a wall where he hit his head, resulting in seizures. Stinson then tried to cover up her part in her son's death by taking him that night to a secluded wooded area near the location where she told police he was kidnapped by a fictitious man named Antwan. There, she buried the toddler. The medical examiner said he died of blunt force trauma. It's unclear if the little boy was dead at the time he was buried.

Stinson was originally charged with first-degree murder and filing a false report to law enforcement. Her trial was postponed from March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The little boy's death outraged the community, especially after learning that Jordan had been taken from a loving foster family he'd been with since he was 3 months old and reunited with his biological mother who had a history of unemployment and remained in contact with Jordan's father, who has a history of gang and drug involvement.

This summer, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Jordan's Law, calling for major changes to Florida's child welfare system, after it was determined that child welfare employees burdened by a heavy workload missed warning signs that might have prevented the little boy's death.

Florida Rep. Chris Latvala, who represents the District 67, which includes Largo, sponsored the bill along with House Speaker Jose Oliva and Speaker Designate Chris Sprowls. The bill calls for a decrease in the number of cases a caseworker can be assigned and increased communication between the child welfare system and police who responded to complaints of criminal activity at Stinson's apartment but was unaware that Stinson had a child in her custody who was being monitored by the welfare system.

At the time of her arrest, Stinson was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter on Dec. 22, 2018, and custody of the baby went to Sam and Juliet Warren, Jordan's longtime foster parents.

“Precious baby Jordan will leave a legacy on many, and his legacy is that kids like him hopefully will have better opportunities than he had and better outcomes than he had,” Latvala said.

"Today, the Largo Police Department closed the case with the sentencing of Charisse Stinson in the murder of her 2-year-old son, Jordan Belliveau," said Largo Police Chief Jeff Undestad. "The Largo Police Department would like to thank the greater community for their willingness to support the investigation. Largo is home to wonderful and caring individuals that mourned Jordan's death together as a community. Largo also extends gratitude to Florida State Rep. Chris Latvala for taking action and drafting the legislation known as 'Jordan's Law' that will keep children safer in Florida's child welfare system."

Related stories:

• Largo Mother Says She Hit Toddler During 'Moment Of Frustration'
• Largo Mother Arrested For Death of 2-Year-Old Son
• Largo Police Receive More Than 60 Tips On Missing 2-Year-Old
• Police Search For 2-Year-Old Missing From Largo
• Trial Date Set For Largo Mother Accused In Death Of Toddler
• Foster Agencies Say Mother Only Person To Blame For Boy's Death
• Foster Parents Recall Precious Time Spent With 2-Year-Old Boy
• Largo Police Receive More Than 60 Tips On Missing 2-Year-Old
• Largo Amber Alert: Mom Reportedly Attacked; Toddler Disappears
• Legislators Vow To Pass Law In Memory Of Murdered Largo Boy