Kimberley Mills to change plea in murder, abuse charges in 10-year-old son's death

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Lake County mother accused of brutally beating and killing her 10-year-old son appears poised to change her plea, according to recent court filings.

Kimberley Mills and her boyfriend, Andre Walker, are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse with aggravated battery, and aggravated child abuse with malicious punishment, stemming from allegations that the couple tortured Xavier Williams over several weeks, leading to his death.

Mills, who pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this year, is set to appear before a judge next year to change her plea, a motion filed on Tuesday reveals.

What's New:

Court filings show Mills had entered a plea of not guilty and waived her personal appearance at arraignment, requesting a jury trial. 

Her defense had formally requested access to all evidence, including witness statements, surveillance, prior criminal records, and expert reports, in preparation for trial.

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In a motion filed in the Fifth Judicial Court this week, Mills is expected to appear before Lake County Circuit Judge Cary Frank Rada for a change of plea hearing and sentencing. That hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14 at 1 p.m.

Content warning: This story discusses allegations of physical abuse against a child, according to information from the Tavares Police Department. The details in this story are disturbing. 

What happened to Xavier?

The backstory:

On Feb. 22, 2025, Mills and Walker took Xavier to AdventHealth Waterman, where doctors noticed bruises and burn marks. 

Tavares police officers said Walker left immediately, and Mills briefly left but returned with Xavier's 9-year-old brother.

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Investigators executed a search warrant at the home, uncovering evidence of abuse, including a 10-pound weight being dropped onto Xavier's stomach and copper wire used to inflict harm, authorities said.

Xavier died on March 21 after weeks of fighting for his life at the hospital. 

As the investigation continued, police discovered that the boy's brother had also been tortured and abused by the couple. 

Police said Mills was "methodical" and made sure the children would not tell anyone what was going on. The kids went to school wearing long sleeves to cover the abuse, officials said.