Fundraiser for Boy Found in Alligator’s Mouth and His Slain Mom Surpasses Initial Goal, as Dad Is Jailed
A GoFundMe page created to help the family of a Florida toddler and his mother, both of whom were k#lled last week, has surpassed its original goal of $30,000.
The body of missing 2-year-old Taylen Mosley was found March 31 inside an alligator’s mouth while his mother, Pashun Jeffrey, 20, was found dead the day before from more than 100 stab wounds, according to St. Petersburg police.
According to an arrest affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE, Thomas Mosley, 21, is accused of stabbing Jeffery, his girlfriend, to death after she threw Mosely a party celebrating his birthday at her St. Petersburg apartment.
After that, police believe Mosley allegedly threw the couple’s son Taylen into Lake Maggiore in St. Petersburg before arriving at his mother’s house with severe lacerations to his arms and hands, the affidavit reads. Police allege Mosley then admitted himself to an area hospital to treat his wounds.
Taylen’s body was discovered in the alligator’s mouth after an Amber Alert was issued for him and authorities launched an extensive search.
“The alligator was killed in order to retrieve the body, confirmed as that of Taylen Mosley. The medical examiner will determine what caused his death,” a police statement read.
Mosley is being held in the Pinellas County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, jail records show. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges against him.
A GoFundMe page organized to help offset memorial costs for the victims described Jeffrey as a single mom who worked at CVS and was dedicated to providing “a better life for her son.” The campaign had received more than $38,000 as of April 4.
In an April 3 update, the family said they would raise the fundraising goal from $30,000 to $50,000 to accommodate unexpected funeral and burial arrangements for Taylen and Jeffrey.
“Originally we would have liked to have Pashun and Taylen together in one casket, as you seldom saw them apart in their living,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately, we learned we must have two separate caskets and burial plots.”
The memorial service is scheduled for April 7, according to the GoFundMe page. Four days later, on April 11, Mosley is scheduled to appear in court.
