The Richmond case centers on how long twin toddlers were left alone before relatives called 911.
RICHMOND, Va. — Prosecutors say apartment camera footage undercuts a mother’s claim that she briefly left her 17-month-old twin sons in a bathtub before they suffered fatal drowning injuries in April.
The allegation emerged during a Richmond Circuit Court bond hearing for Amaya Dixon, 21, who is charged with two counts of felony murder and two counts of child neglect. The deaths of Ksyn and Kcye Dixon have moved the case beyond the first police account, adding a courtroom dispute over timing, supervision and what Dixon told investigators after the boys were found in the water.
The April 17 emergency began in the 1000 block of German School Road, where Richmond police were called at about 8:39 p.m. for a report of two injured children. Officers arrived at the Southside apartment and found two 17-month-old boys with apparent drowning injuries while in a bathtub. Both children were taken to a hospital. One died that night, and the other later died from his injuries. Police later identified their mother as the suspect after a grand jury returned indictments.
At Tuesday’s bond hearing, Richmond Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Joan Burroughs said Dixon told police she left the twins for four minutes while she went to get milk. Burroughs told the judge the camera footage showed a longer absence of about 15 minutes. The prosecutor said Dixon returned only after getting a call from her mother. Burroughs also said Dixon “never let a single person know she was leaving,” placing the dispute over notice alongside the dispute over time.
The state’s account added two young relatives to the timeline. Burroughs said Dixon’s 12-year-old brother discovered the twins struggling in the bathtub water. A 17-year-old brother then helped the boys while the 12-year-old called 911, the prosecutor said. That sequence remains a key piece of the public record because police have not released the full emergency call, the camera footage or a complete investigative summary. Authorities have not said how much water was in the tub or what other evidence was collected in the bathroom.
The prosecution also said the twins were developmentally delayed and could not support their own heads. In court, that detail sharpened the state’s argument that leaving them unattended in a bathtub created grave risk. Police first described the injuries as apparent drowning injuries, and the later indictment converted the case into a double homicide prosecution. The formal charges accuse Dixon of felony murder and child neglect, not simply an accident followed by a medical emergency. Dixon has not been convicted of the charges.
Dixon’s defense framed the case differently. Her attorney, William Smith, told the court Dixon had never been convicted of a crime, graduated from Armstrong High School and had deep family connections in South Richmond. Smith said Dixon was not a flight risk and not a danger to the community. He called the incident “obviously unintentional.” His argument focused less on the state’s minute count and more on Dixon’s roots, criminal history and ability to return to court while the case proceeds.
Judge Charles Maxfield granted Dixon a $20,000 bond, setting $5,000 for each charge. The judge also imposed a major condition, saying Dixon cannot serve as a caretaker for minors while she awaits trial. Dixon sobbed audibly and said, “Thank you, God,” after the ruling. The order did not end the case or settle the dispute over intent. It only decided whether Dixon could be released before further proceedings, under court supervision and restrictions.
Family members left court with a different message from the one prosecutors presented inside. The boys’ grandmother said the family loved Ksyn and Kcye and described Dixon as a caring mother. “They’re accusations,” the grandmother said after the hearing. “Amaya was a loving and caring mom. We loved those children unconditionally. We will forever hold them in our hearts.” Her statement reflected a family now grieving two toddlers while also responding to a murder case against their mother.
The Richmond case is complicated by separate pending charges in Chesterfield County. Prosecutors told the court Dixon also faces allegations from December 2025 tied to larceny from a vulnerable adult and other financial matters. Reports citing court records have described those unrelated allegations as including credit card theft, credit card fraud, grand larceny, obtaining money by false pretenses, financial exploitation and possession of stolen property with intent to sell. Dixon’s defense emphasized that she has not been convicted.
Richmond police arrested Dixon on May 7 after the grand jury indictments. The department said Major Crimes Detective J. Pittman was handling the case and that investigators were still seeking information. Police have not disclosed a motive, and no official has publicly said whether Dixon gave any additional explanation beyond the statement described in court. The lack of a full public record leaves the camera footage, witness accounts and medical findings as likely central evidence in any later hearing or trial.
No Richmond trial date has been reported. Dixon’s next known court matter is connected to the separate Chesterfield fraud allegations in August, while the murder and child neglect case remains pending in Richmond Circuit Court.
Author note: Last updated May 28, 2026.