Yevheniia Koval was 79 years old and home alone with her granddaughter when someone beat her, leaving her with multiple bruises.
It happened on May 23, 2024, in a condominium in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. Her son had punished Sofia, 14, by taking away her phone, and left, leaving the two of them together. When he returned, he found his mother unconscious. She was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The autopsy was clear: homicide.
According to the arrest report, Sofia admitted to hitting her with a belt and said she was defending herself because her grandmother had scratched her. Her father attributed the teenager’s behavior to what she had experienced in Ukraine: the war and separation from her mother.
She was initially charged with second-degree murder and was tried as an adult. During the proceedings, the charge was reduced to manslaughter, an offense that could carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. On October 30, 2024, Sofia pleaded no contest and was sentenced to a maximum-risk juvenile program for up to 36 months, followed by supervision until she turns 21. According to prosecutors, she was expected to be deported to Ukraine.
The case shocked people because of the age of the accused and the bond between her and the victim: a 14-year-old granddaughter and a 79-year-old grandmother, in a family story that ended in court.