Murder of Nubia Barahona

Nubia Docter Barahona was a 10-year-old American girl who was abused and killed on February 11, 2011. Her body was discovered on February 14, 2011, wrapped in a plastic garbage bag in the bed of her adoptive father's pickup truck, which had been left on the shoulder of I-95 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The truck was filled with pesticide and other chemical containers, and her body had partially decomposed after exposure to caustic substances. Her twin brother, Victor Docter Barahona, was found in the truck's cab suffering seizures from chemical burns and toxic fume inhalation; he survived and was hospitalized.

Nubia and Victor had been removed from their biological mother's care as young children due to her substance abuse issues, and after a brief placement with their biological father, entered foster care before being placed with Jorge and Carmen Barahona in Miami. Beginning in 2005, school officials and medical staff repeatedly reported signs of possible abuse and neglect to the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), including bruising, extreme thinness, hunger, and hair loss. Each time, DCF investigations were closed after accepting the Barahonas' explanations, including that Nubia's symptoms stemmed from a preexisting endocrine condition. The twins' guardian ad litem objected to the Barahonas' 2008 adoption application but was removed from the case before the adoption was finalized in May 2009.

Following the discovery of Nubia's body, Jorge Barahona was arrested and told police he had planned to die by suicide after learning of his daughter's death, an account investigators found inconsistent with Victor's injuries. An autopsy determined Nubia had been beaten to death on February 11, 2011 — the same day a DCF worker visited the home to investigate an abuse hotline call but reported the children safe without making contact with them. A relative later alleged the twins had been subjected to prolonged physical restraint and psychological abuse in the home, which Carmen Barahona had described as a "family secret."

Jorge and Carmen Barahona were jointly indicted on eighteen charges, including first-degree murder, multiple counts of child abuse and neglect, and mutilating a dead body; prosecutors sought the death penalty. Carmen Barahona filed for divorce from Jorge before her own arrest and charge with first-degree murder in March 2011. On February 21, 2020, she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated child abuse, agreeing to testify against Jorge as part of a plea deal, with sentencing deferred pending her cooperation. As of 2025, Jorge Barahona's case remained pending; he was ruled competent to stand trial in July 2025, and as of October 1, 2025, the court was evaluating his options for legal representation.

DCF faced significant public criticism over its handling of the case, including from a judge overseeing related proceedings. An independent panel later characterized the department's handling of the case as "inept." In April 2017, Victor Barahona received a $3.75 million settlement from DCF, with state officials acknowledging the department had ignored multiple warning signs.