Mother who left her daughter's remains in fireplace sentenced to 84 years in prison for murder

A Colorado mother was sentenced to 84 years in prison for murdering her 5-year-old daughter in 2023, authorities say.

On Wednesday, June 12, Alexus Tanielle Nelson, 28, pleaded guilty to three felonies: second-degree murder, tampering with a deceased body and attempting to influence a public servant, according to a press release.

The charges against Nelson related to the death of his daughter Maha Li Hobbs.

The child's charred remains were found in Nelson's apartment in the 1000 block of S. Elkhart Street after the Aurora Police Department responded to a welfare check.

The authorities visit was requested by Nelson's mother, who said Nelson had made “regarding statements” to her via text message and that the grandmother had not heard or seen the child in about 3 weeks.

When authorities arrived at Nelson's home to conduct a welfare check, the mother claimed she had put her child up for adoption.

However, when authorities contacted the adoption agency Nelson mentioned, they “claimed they had no contact or records with Nelson or his daughter,” the statement said.

That led officials to Nelson's home where a detective discovered an odor coming from a utility closet door on the apartment's patio that smelled of rotting flesh.

“Inside a bag, detectives found the charred human remains of Nelson's daughter. Bone fragments in the ashes were also found inside Nelson’s fireplace,” the release said.

Nelson pleaded guilty Wednesday, which canceled trial dates that would have taken place later this month. One of the terms of her plea means she will not have the opportunity to appeal later.

“While we were fully prepared to take this case to court, this plea protects Maha Li's family from having to listen to painful, gruesome and horrific testimony,” said Chief Deputy Prosecutor Chris Gallo.

“Aurora Police Department detectives were able to quickly uncover holes in the defendant’s story, which ultimately helped us quickly solve this case and bring justice to Maha Li’s family.”

Other officials added that Nelson had other options for Maha before ultimately choosing murder.

“This mother was aware of available adoption programs that could have cared for this 5-year-old child, but she chose murder,” prosecutor John Kellner said.

“While there is no way to fully understand what turned this mother into a monster, she deserves to spend several decades behind bars for the unspeakable crime she committed.”

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Senior Deputy Kathleen Tierney added, “There are many resources and legal avenues for parents to return their children if they are unable to care for them. »

“It is both heartbreaking and appalling that a mother would kill her own child and then make up a false adoption story so the family would believe the child is alive and well.”