A nanny accused of fatally abusing an infant in 2021 was sentenced this week and will spend 25 years to life in prison. The nanny, 40-year-old Victoria Frances Fox, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of a 4-week-old infant who was his parents' "miracle baby." The baby's parents brought Fox to San Diego from the UK to care for their son while a surrogate prepared to deliver their twins. After the parents left the hospital for the birth of the twins, Fox killed the infant.
Fox cared for the infant, a boy named Phoenix, in an Airbnb rented by his Singaporean parents, according to Law & Crime. The family hired an additional nanny to care for their young son and Phoenix, whom they called their "miracle baby," but she was not present when Fox abused the newborn. Before his death, Fox spent time with the family at their Airbnb but never just with the baby. The first time she was alone with Phoenix, she killed him.
Fox seemed an excellent choice to help care for the couple's family.
According to court documents, when the family hired Fox, they thoroughly checked her references, and everything seemed fine, NBC 7 San Diego reported.
"To prepare for the birth of their twins, Phoenix's parents decided it was best to hire a second nanny who could help watch 4-week-old Phoenix. Phoenix's parents participated in a thorough vetting process and ultimately hired Defendant – a career nanny who impressed the couple through multiple interviews, an impressive resume, and who came with stellar recommendations (later to be discovered that the most recent reference was fabricated)," court records state, according to Law & Crime.
Fox violently abused the child while his parents were at the hospital.
In the sentencing document, Fox said she shook the baby, squeezed him, and threw him onto a bed. Fox called the parents at the hospital, and the mother realized something was wrong at the Airbnb. The nanny admitted in court that Phoenix was left upstairs clinging to life while she went back downstairs and ate lunch with the other nanny.
"Phoenix died within a day or so of his injures," explained San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Ramona McCarthy per NBC 7 San Diego. "He suffered an extreme head trauma, extreme subdural hemorrhaging and a fractured femur, however, what he died from was the result of blunt force trauma."
The nanny lied about her references.
After Phoenix died, the family did a bit more investigating into Fox's past and realized that she was a fraud. McCarthy said Fox made up her most recent "stellar" review, court documents stated according to Law & Crime.
She warned the effects of this type of case are "chilling" to parents who are hiring strangers to care for their children and believing that their experience and references are accurate.
Fox claimed she was 'too proud' to admit she had trouble caring for Phoenix.
According to court documents, Fox said she is British and therefore was "too proud" to ask for help or admit that she struggled with mental illness. She initially denied any knowledge of how Phoenix was injured. She later admitted to causing the injuries that led to his death.
A physician who cared for Phoenix at the hospital said, "It's disturbing to see the amount of injury to this child's head," Law & Crime reported.
Phoenix died as the twins were born. "[T]he very day that Phoenix's parents were celebrating the birth of their twins was the same day the person they hired to protect and care for Phoenix violently abused him and killed him," prosecutors noted at Fox's sentencing.
A judge gave Fox the maximum sentence.
Fox pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, stating she was solely responsible for Phoenix's death. NBC 7 San Diego reported that Fox said she was "deeply sorry" for her actions that ultimately killed Phoenix.
The court convicted her of first-degree murder, and according to California law, "[e]very person guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by death, imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life."
There has been no execution in California in the last 17 years. Because of the moratorium, Fox will serve the maximum sentence for her crime.
Phoenix's parents prepared a statement for the court that McCarthy read aloud.
"On behalf of our late son Phoenix, my wife and I want to thank the incredible support we have received from all investigating officers and the Prosecutors Office. We think of Phoenix every day and this horrific event still affects us as a family deeply," the statement shared, per NBC 7 San Diego. "We hope this sentence means no other family or child will experience what we have been through at the hands of Ms. Fox."
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
