Aunt of Xavier Williams shares agony of watching him take his final breaths: 'I'm trying to be strong' | FOX 35 Orlando
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Aunt of Xavier Williams shares agony of watching him take his final breaths: 'I'm trying to be strong'

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Published  March 26, 2025 2:13pm EDT
Lake County
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A family is devastated by the loss of 10-year-old Xavier Williams, who died last week from suspected abuse and neglect allegedly at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend.
    • His aunt shared described the agony of watching her nephew take his final breaths.
    • Xavier's family is holding a candlelight vigil in his honor this weekend.

TAVARES, Fla. - A family is heartbroken over the death of a 10-year-old Tavares boy who died last week from suspected abuse and neglect, allegedly at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. 

Xavier Williams' family is now planning a candlelight vigil in his honor, scheduled for this weekend.

FOX 35 News spoke to Xavier's aunt on Tuesday following his death. She described the agony of watching her nephew take his final breaths.

‘I’m trying to be strong and not break'

What they're saying:

"It was the most painful thing to watch my nephew take his last breath… that tore me apart," Cameil Williams, Xavier's aunt, said. She also expressed disbelief over the level of cruelty, stating, "There is nothing that he could have [done] to warrant this."

Family mourns death of 10-year-old Xavier Williams

Authorities say 10-year-old Xavier Williams was tortured and beaten to death by his mother and her boyfriend. FOX 35 spoke with the boy's aunt, Cameil Williams, who said the family is devastated.

"I'm trying to be strong and not break down every time — but it's hard because a lot of stuff that's out there that's already brutal for you guys — there's so much more that you don't know that we can't say," she added.

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 Williams?

What we know:

On Feb. 22, Xavier's mother, Kimberley Mills, and her boyfriend, Andre Walker, brought him to AdventHealth Waterman, where doctors noticed bruises and burn marks. 

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

Charges upgraded after Xavier's death

Xavier died on March 21 after weeks of fighting for his life at the hospital. Mills and Walker are facing second-degree murder in the boy's death.

Pictured from left to right: Kimberley Mills, Xavier Williams and Andre Walker (Credit: Lake County jail/Tavares Police Department)

Family, community to honor Xavier with candlelight vigil

His family is organizing a candlelight vigil to honor Xavier, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at Wooten Park in Tavares.

The community is invited to attend and is encouraged to wear the color blue.

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The Source: This story was written based on previous reporting by FOX 35 News, the Tavares Police Department, and Cameil Williams, aunt of Xavier Williams.

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