Nurse Adopted Three Girls: Inside the Disturbing Case That Left One of Them Dead, 2 Others Tortured

A Florida nurse who adopted three girls was convicted of murdering one and abusing the other two.

Gina Emmanuel, 56, was convicted of murder and two counts of aggravated child abuse on Monday, April 14 in connection with the death of her 7-year-old daughter, Samaya, according to Miami Dade County court records.

“The guilty verdict in Gina Emmanuel’s first-degree murder and child abuse trial brought to the light of day the horrors 7-year-old Samaya so tragically suffered before her death,” Miami Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. “No one could ever imagine that a trained nurse would beat, torture and starve Samaya and her 2 adopted sisters as a means of instilling the defendant’s vision of discipline.”

Samaya’s 12-year-old adopted sister testified against Emmanuel during her trial.

“One should admire the courage it took for Samaya’s sister, 12-years-old at the time of the abuse, to come forward and testify in court, before judges, lawyers, jurors and others in order for the truth to be told,” Rundle said.

Emmanuel was first charged in 2019, court records indicate. Samaya died in November 2018, NBC 6 reported, and authorities found that she had suffered suspicious injuries.

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The outlet reported that during Emmanuel’s trial, one of her surviving children told the jury, “She would chain us, she would have us lay down, she would chain us and lock until she got back.”    

According to Local 10, authorities said Samaya died from untreated pneumonia made worse by years of abuse.

Emmanuel is set to be sentenced later this month.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.