Her attorney told a judge she is pregnant again.
WASHINGTON — A District of Columbia mother was ordered held without bond Thursday after authorities said her 13-month-old daughter died from dehydration and malnourishment linked to neglect.
Superior Court Judge Heidi Hermann found probable cause to keep Valencia Duke, 25, detained while the case moves forward. Duke is charged with first-degree felony murder and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children. Her attorney also told the court she is pregnant again.
The case began Jan. 18, when Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the 4700 block of Southern Avenue Southeast for a report of an unconscious child. Inside an apartment, officers found Duke’s 13-month-old twins. Fire and EMS crews pronounced the girl, Mazouri Jones, dead at the scene. Her twin brother was taken to a hospital after police said he was severely dehydrated and malnourished.
Court documents say Duke left both children alone in the residence between Jan. 14 and Jan. 18. Police said the girl was found dead and decomposing when officers arrived. Her brother remained hospitalized for several days. The Chief Medical Examiner later found that Mazouri died from dehydration and malnourishment due to neglect, and the death was ruled a homicide.
Duke was arrested Wednesday by members of the Capitol Regional Fugitive Task Force. The charges place the case in D.C. Superior Court, where prosecutors must continue to show evidence as the matter moves toward future hearings. Police said the investigation is being handled by the department’s Special Victims Unit.
Officials have not publicly released more details about where Duke was during the days the children were allegedly left alone. Court records described the children as twins and gave the timeline investigators believe led to the girl’s death and the boy’s medical emergency.
Duke remained held without bond as of Friday. The next court steps will determine how prosecutors proceed on the murder and child cruelty charges.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.