LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — During a press conference on Thursday, Florida State Attorney William Gladson announced that the state will be seeking the death penalty against a couple accused of torturing 10-year-old Xavier Williams to death.

The boy’s mother, Kimberly Mills, and her boyfriend, Andre Walker, were both indicted by a grand jury after they allegedly tortured Williams to death back in February in Tavares, Florida. 

Tavares Police Department detectives shared that the couple allegedly dropped 10-pound weights on Williams while restraining his hands to a ladder with duct tape.

On Feb. 22, police said Mills and Walker brought Williams to a local hospital in cardiac arrest, “covered in bruises and burn marks.” 

Once law enforcement responded, Williams’s nine-year-old brother, who was also reportedly being abused, explained to officers what had been happening.

Williams remained in critical condition for a month before he died. Mills and Walker were both charged with second-degree murder.

“A family that’s going through what this family is going through needs to know that they have the support of the community as they move forward,” Gladson said during Thursday’s presser.

Tavares Police Chief Sarah Coursey commended her officers and detectives for their work on the case, saying she appreciated the “outpouring of support” from the community.

“I have full confidence that our state attorney’s office will ensure that Kimberly and Andre will be held accountable for their actions,” Coursey said. “This is not an act of vengeance, but a solemn response born out of respect for Xavier and his family.”

With the indictment, Mills and Walker’s charges have been upgraded to first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

This story includes reporting from Fox61 News, 10 Tampa Bay’s sister station in Connecticut.