Texas Mother Convicted of Torturing Her Twin Children With Bleach, Handcuffs, and Starvation

HOUSTON, TEXAS – A 43-year-old Texas mother has been convicted of torturing her twin children, forcing them to drink bleach, restraining them with handcuffs, and keeping them locked inside a laundry room for months in one of the most disturbing abuse cases Harris County has seen in years.

Twins Escaped After Years of Abuse

Zaikiya Duncan was found guilty Friday on two counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury after jurors deliberated for less than an hour.

The verdict came a day after her teenage son testified in detail about the horrific conditions he and his twin sister endured before their escape from Duncan’s Cypress-area home on October 18, 2022.

According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called around 5:30 a.m. after a neighbor reported that two half-dressed teens had “escaped from their mother’s house” and were knocking on doors for help.

When the neighbor answered, her doorbell camera captured the twins pleading, “Can you help us? We just broke out of our handcuffs.”

“She was shaking with her handcuffs,” the neighbor recalled. “They were starving, scared, and said their mom had them locked up in the laundry room.”

“She Told Us to Stop Calling Her Mom”

When police arrived, the children were found malnourished, covered in cuts and bruises, and bearing deep lacerations around their wrists from being restrained.

Investigators said both victims described being handcuffed to a dolly, starved, and forced to drink chemicals as punishment.

The affidavit detailed shocking forms of abuse:

• Duncan allegedly poured bleach on the twins’ skin, including their genital areas, causing burns.
• She sprayed Easy-Off oven cleaner and Lysol in their mouths when they spoke without permission.
• The children were allowed to eat only a mustard or relish sandwich one to three times a week.
• They were forced to sleep on the floor and use the bathroom on themselves.

The siblings told investigators that Duncan ordered her restraint devices from Amazon, including the handcuffs they used to escape.

During his testimony, the now-18-year-old son told jurors, “She told us to stop calling her mom.”

Escape and Arrest

The teens said they managed to flee after the brother secretly stole the handcuff key from Duncan’s purse, hid it in his mouth overnight, and unlocked the restraints.

After escaping, they ran to a neighbor’s home, where the woman sheltered them until police arrived.

Duncan fled with her boyfriend, Jova Terrell, and her other children to Louisiana but was captured days later. Terrell later pleaded guilty to child endangerment and was sentenced to 18 months in state custody.

Sentencing to Follow

Duncan faces a lengthy prison sentence when she appears in court on Monday.

The case has drawn national attention for its brutality and the resilience of the twins who testified against their abuser.

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