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Bronx, New York – April 20, 2025 — A horrifying tragedy with deep Caribbean roots has rocked the Bronx and sent shockwaves across St. Kitts and Nevis. Lisa Cotton, a 38-year-old mother originally from St. Kitts, and her 8-year-old disabled son Nazir Millien, were found dead and decomposing in their Bronx apartment after what neighbors say was more than two weeks of neglect, system failure, and bureaucratic apathy.

Even more heart-wrenching, Cotton’s 4-year-old daughter, Promise, was found alive but starving and smeared in chocolate, lying on the bed beside her mother’s corpse — a scene described by one family member as “hell on earth.”

Authorities believe Cotton, who suffered from mental illness and asthma, may have died of cardiac arrest, while Nazir, born prematurely and dependent on a feeding tube, likely starved to death. Both were found with no visible signs of trauma, but with bugs crawling over their lifeless bodies.

Meanwhile, Promise survived alone in the rotting apartment, reportedly sustaining herself by eating chocolate while trapped with death and decay.

A SYSTEMIC FAILURE: “THEY DID NOTHING!”

Outraged neighbors and family members are pointing fingers at the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and NYPD, accusing both of negligence and incompetence.

“They didn’t do s–t!” cried neighbor Sabrina Coleson, revealing that ACS workers were in the building just one day before the bodies were discovered — but failed to intervene.

Police had also visited earlier in the week following a 911 call but left without forcing entry, claiming they didn’t detect anything alarming.

But residents had been complaining of a foul odor for days, with one exterminator even comparing the stench to “rats and death.”

“They all failed those children. Every single agency!” said one furious neighbor.

A FAMILY’S NIGHTMARE: “BUGS CRAWLING ON HIS BODY”

The gruesome discovery was made when Cotton’s father, Hubert, 71, unable to reach his daughter, sent his eldest granddaughter to check the apartment. What she found was beyond comprehension.

“Nazir was slumped over dead in his chair. Lisa was lifeless. And Promise was feeding herself chocolate, surrounded by death.” Hubert recounted in tears. “Bugs were crawling on Nazir’s body. He was so small… like a baby bird in my hand.”

Promise, now in her grandfather’s care, remains traumatized and silent, “just curled up watching cartoons, barely speaking.”

A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS IGNORED

Lisa Cotton reportedly had episodes of mental illness, including bipolar behavior and suicidal threats. In 2021, she was arrested for child abandonment after acting erratically with her infant daughter, swinging her in a stroller and lighting a wig on fire in public.

Despite her clear struggles, ACS left the children in her care, even as neighbors sounded the alarm repeatedly.

“Why was she allowed to keep those kids?” one neighbor demanded. “ACS should’ve acted long ago. This was preventable.”

Another neighbor claimed Lisa had previously threatened to kill everyone on the block, and even attempted to jump from the building’s rooftop with her son in what appeared to be a murder-suicide attempt.

A CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY IN MOURNING

News of the tragedy has devastated the St. Kitts and Nevis diaspora, as Lisa Cotton’s father, originally from St. Kitts, now faces the emotional and financial burden of burying his daughter and grandson.

“I don’t know how I’ll find the money to bury both of them,” he wept. “Two of them… gone. Just like that.”

DEMANDS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

The New York City Administration for Children’s Services has launched an investigation — but for many, it’s too little, too late. The question now is how many red flags must be raised before the system acts?

What happened to Lisa, Nazir, and Promise is not just a family tragedy. It is a shameful indictment of a broken system that ignored warning signs, failed to act, and abandoned a family in desperate need.

This wasn’t just neglect. This was avoidable. This was preventable. And this was a betrayal.

#BronxTragedy #LisaCotton #StKittsDiaspora #ACSFailure #JusticeForNazir #PromiseSurvived #HouseOfHorrors #MentalHealthCrisis #SystemFailed #WeDeserveAnswers

Read more: NY Post coverage