A warrant for Valeria Maxon remains active following the events surrounding her drowned baby. Around seven years ago, Maxon walked out of a residential treatment facility in south Fort Worth, and she’s never been found.
In 2008, Maxon was found not guilty by reason of insanity in connection with the drowning death of her one-year-old son.
According to her testimony in court, Valeria was living in Moldova, in eastern Europe, when she met Michael Maxon through a dating service. After moving to the United States, the couple’s son, Alex, was born.
Soon after, they learned that Alex was developmentally delayed, and that’s when Valeria’s mental health started to take a downhill spiral.
“She became more and more anxious about Alex,” psychologist Randy Price testified during the trial. “She wasn’t able to sleep and was extremely concerned about him and she began to develop delusional thoughts.”
On June 30, 2006, Michael Maxon told the police he left his son alone with his wife for about an hour and a half while he ran errands, and that’s when Valeria drowned her baby.
She believed she was a witch and that her son was the antichrist, according to authorities. Reportedly, she was certain her child was possessed by the devil, and the only thing that could keep the evil spirits away and save the world from her son, “the antichrist,” was water.
When Michael returned home, he found the boy’s cold body on the couple’s bed.
After her trial, Valeria was remanded to state custody at a state mental hospital. Several years later, she was released to community outpatient treatment. She walked out of the outpatient treatment facility in south Fort Worth in August 2014, a few weeks after arriving. Valeria Maxon has not been seen since then.
In 2010, Valeria Maxon’s husband, Michael Maxon, was charged with abandonment. According to his testimony, he left his son alone with his wife for about an hour and a half, despite warnings from mental health professionals.
He was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison, but in September 2014, he was placed on probation for ten years.
