Trial Day 2: Daughter of Tracey Nix testifies in hot car death trial

Trial Day 3: Coverage continues

Watch the wrap-up of day two here:

4:44 p.m.
Testimony from Detective Fletcher concludes and they have ended the proceeding for the day. The jury will be back at 8:15 a.m. tomorrow.

4:27 p.m.
Audio has concluded. Testimony from Detective Fletcher continues.

3:58 p.m.
Nix said to the detective in the audio, "Why do I keep hurting people I love?"

3:48 p.m.
Nix told detectives that she had watched the child numerous times previously. She said again and again to detectives that she "I can't face my daughter," while she is heard sobbing in the audio.

3:38 p.m.
Court proceeding has resumed. They are continuing to show video and audio recordings of when Tracey Nix was questioned by detectives.

3:09 p.m.
The judge called for a 10 or 15 minute break.

3:07 p.m.
While being questioned Tracey Nix said she couldn't remember if she parked her car outside under a tree or in the garage.

2:21 p.m.
Video from Hardee County Sheriff’s Office being shown from when Tracey was brought in for questioning. Detective made it clear she was not under arrest.

2:07 p.m.
“I cannot do this” - Tracey is heard crying in the body worn camera video. She said she cannot stay here and the detective said she cannot let her drive. “I can’t face my daughter, I cannot do it,” Tracey is heard saying. Tracey said she needed to go in her car and go somewhere. “I cannot be here when she gets here, I cannot do it.” Tears are heard here in the courtroom from several people.

2:05 p.m.
Prosecution is showing this body worn camera.

1:56 p.m.
Alice Fletcher is a detective with the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office was also involved in the death investigation of Uriel Schock. She was wearing a body worn camera when she responded to the scene. Fletcher helped Tracey’s husband locate Tracey that day. She was behind a barn on the property. Fletcher’s interaction with Tracey was captured on her body worn camera.

1:52 p.m.
Back from 10 minute break. Another detective with the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office in November 2022 testifying now. He helped with Spanish translations because there were some workers on property at Tracey’s home. He helped with interviewing Kaila. He said this was his only involvement.

1:28 p.m.
Wallace being shown evidence of white baby blanket that was collected at the scene. She was then shown the diaper bag that was also left inside the vehicle and was collected at the scene.

1:26 p.m.
Assistant state attorney continuing to review photographs with Wallace that were taken inside a the car.

1:03 p.m.
Amanda Wallace worked with the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office in November 2022. She responded to the scene for the death investigation. Photographers were taken of the area, the car, the car seat, etc.
Evidence box was opened in court - Wallace looked inside and confirmed it was the car seat collected at the scene.

12:49 p.m.
Kim Pfeiffer with the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, responded to process the crime scene in November 2022. Her role was to photograph the scene.

12:33 p.m.
Detective Shane Ward, with the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office is now testifying. He responded to the scene of the incident, at Tracey’s home in Wauchula.

12:18 p.m.
Back from lunch break. Lyle Hart, with the Wauchula Police Department, just sworn in to testify. Worked for Hardee County Sheriff’s Office as a detective in 2022. He was involved in the death investigation of Uriel Schock. He says Tracey was walking around frantic when he went to her home after Uriel’s death. He said she was crying as well.

11:14 a.m.
Breaking for lunch

11:09 a.m.
The last employee’s partner from Hardee County Fire Rescue, who responded with him to Tracey’s home, is now testifying. Gave similar statements to it being hot that day and that the baby was hot to the touch.

10:59 a.m.
Harder County Fire Rescue employee describing responding to Tracey Nix’s home and seeing her husband, who was hysterical. He is saying baby Uriel was hot to the touch. The onesie she was in was damp from sweating. They proceeded to do CPR efforts. He says rigor mortis had already set in. Uriel was “dead on arrival” and then transported to the hospital.

10:52 a.m.
Audio from the 911 call Rebekah made is being played in court. Kaila and Drew are holding each other, crying in court as the audio plays. Tracey’s head is down.

Rebekah said Uriel’s eyes were open. She was not breathing. Rebekah said she didn’t know where her mom went when she was on the phone with 911. Tracey said she was in the car “a while.” Rebekah was saying she couldn’t do this with her son there. She had her young son with her.

10:48 a.m.
Rebekah became emotional talking about the day her mother left Uriel in the backseat. She had gone over to her mom’s home. Her dad gave Uriel CPR. Saw her mom on her hands and knees, hyperventilating.

WFTS

10:44 a.m.
Rebekah Tucker, Kaila’s sister and Tracey’s daughter called as a witness. Kaila is wiping away tears watching her sister testify.

10:27 a.m.
Tracey hugs several people who are in court, thanking people for coming during a break.

Kaila and Drew had already stepped out of the courtroom.

10:03 a.m.
“She loved her,” Brenda said about Tracey’s relationship with Uriel.

9:54 a.m.
Brenda Knight is a retired school teacher who taught middle school. She says she has known Tracey through church. They became friends. She was also at the lunch at Beef O’Brady’s the day baby Uriel ultimately died. Said they were giving a lot of attention to Uriel.

9:49 a.m.
Defense attorney Fletcher is now questioning Terrell.

9:44 a.m.
Judy Terrell, a friend of Tracey’s, was with her at a prayer group before going to lunch together at Beef O’Brady’s. She talked about Tracey holding the baby, Uriel, at lunch.

9:39 a.m.
Defense attorney asked Knight if Tracey appeared to be ok that day at lunch. She said yes.

9:30 a.m.
Barbara Gail Knight is now speaking; she is a friend of Tracey’s and taught with her at Wauchula Elementary. She’s discussing when they went to Beef O’Brady’s on Nov. 1, 2022, the day of Uriel’s death.

9:23 a.m. 
The Defense attorney is now questioning Kaila. Asking about details when she went to get her hair done and asked her mom to watch her daughter Uriel.

9:16 a.m.
Tracey is looking straight down as her daughter Kaila testifies.

WFTS

9:14 a.m.
Kaila Nix is sworn in to testify.

9:06 a.m.
“We want to focus on her actions, inactions, and the result of those actions,” Assistant State Attorney Tim Coleman said.

9:07 a.m.
Defense attorney William Fletcher: “No one is going to tell you this wasn’t a horrible, horrible situation.”Fletcher says this doesn’t amount to a crime under Florida law.“Tracey Nix is a loving mother, grandmother,” Fletcher said.

She is also a former teacher and principal.

“She forgot the child in the car. There’s no doubt about that,” Fletcher said. Fletcher says this is an accident. That it does not amount to culpable negligence, “as horrible as this is.”

9:08 a.m.
Kaila is burying her head in Drew’s arms, wiping away tears as the prosecutor describes what led up to Uriel’s death.

8:58 a.m.
Tracey Nix is looking down at her lap with a tissue in hand as the state prosecutor gives an opening statement about what happened leading up to 7-month-old Uriel Schock being left in the back seat of a car. The prosecutor says we will be hearing from people who were with Tracey that day. Kaila Nix and her husband Drew Schock are in court, Uriel’s parents. Kaila is looking at her mom in tears.

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What we know so far:

Jury selection began on Monday, and opening statements start Tuesday for a Hardee County woman who is accused of leaving her 7-month-old granddaughter in a hot car where the baby died. As the ABC Action News I-Team first revealed nearly two years ago, this is the second grandchild to die under Tracey Nix's care.

According to a Hardee County complaint affidavit, Kaila Nix had gone to get her hair done that day and had asked her mom, Tracey, 65, to babysit. Temperatures in Wauchula had reached 90 degrees. Her mom's Lexus SUV was parked in the yard with the windows rolled up.

When one of Tracey's grandsons arrived, the complaint affidavit said that "all of a sudden," it "came across her head" that Uriel had been in the SUV all afternoon. Her husband, Nun Ney Nix, immediately began CPR.

The I-Team reconnected with Kaila days before the trial and asked if she wanted her mother to spend any time in prison.

"The mother in me, as I’ve said before, requires justice for my kid. The mother in me requires justice for my daughter. But there is a five-year-old that lives in me still that doesn't want bad things for my mom. I don't want it. I don't want to watch it. I don't want to be a part of it. I don't want anymore hurt," Kaila said.

Kaila is expected to be called as a witness for the prosecution.

Earlier this month, after a judge told defense attorneys their expert witnesses could not testify at trial, they asked for a continuance or to allow the defense counsel to withdraw. That motion was denied. The judge said the court does not accept counsel's assumption that it can no longer effectively represent Tracey.

Jury selection started Jan. 13. If found guilty, Tracey's attorney said she could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

Follow our live updates throughout the day for the latest developments.