In a shocking courtroom scene, a Florida mother, who defiantly screamed “let the monster die” before fatally shooting her ex-partner during a daycare pickup, was observed smiling as she received a 100-year prison sentence.
Mindy Osteen, aged 34, has been condemned to spend the rest of her life behind bars for the ruthless killing of 37-year-old Christopher Travis Jones. The violent incident unfolded in front of their two young sons at Auntie Lili’s Childcare Center, situated in the quaint town of Starke, as reported by WCJB.
Despite the gravity of the sentencing, Osteen appeared unfazed, grinning in her bright yellow jumpsuit with handcuffs securely fastened during the court proceedings.
The tragic series of events began in July 2025 when Osteen made an unanticipated appearance at the daycare. Initially, she greeted Jones and their sons with hugs, seemingly setting a peaceful tone.
However, the situation took a deadly turn when, just after Jones had settled their children into the back seat of his car and assumed the driver’s position, Osteen drew a firearm from her backpack and discharged it three times into the vehicle.
Jones ran out screaming and tried to run for cover inside the daycare. But he was unable to get through a second security door and was hit several more times before the gun jammed.
“Please, let the monster die,” Osteen was heard saying on surveillance footage.
“You got to die,” she was heard telling Jones. “Chris, you can’t kill my kids,” she was heard telling him — to which he replied, “I’m not killing nobody.”
The dad was still alive when deputies arrived, and he identified Osteen as the shooter. She gave herself up without incident, telling police, “I’m right here y’all. I done it in self-defense.”
Jones later died at the hospital from his wounds.
Neither of their young sons were hurt, and have since been adopted by a woman not related to Jones or Osteen’s family, WSAZ reported.
Osteen avoided going to trial after she pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, several firearm-related charges, and discharging a weapon within 1,000 feet of a school and shooting into a vehicle.
She was sentenced last week to a total of 100 years in prison and was ordered to have no contact with Jones’ family.
“I hope she never has the ability to be back out on the street because she is a very, very dangerous person,” Jones’ great-aunt Phyllis Sands told WSAZ.