I Watched My Daughter Die on FaceTime": The Tragic Murder of 2-Year-Old Zea Flanagan | True Crim
The tragic story of two-year-old Zea Flanigan unfolded in March 2023 in Houston, Texas, revealing devastating consequences of parental separation and unheeded warnings. Known for her bright personality and loving nature, Zea found herself caught in a dangerous situation between her separated parents, Deontre Flanigan and Kirsten Watson. Their relationship had deteriorated significantly, with Deontre unable to accept the separation and directing his anger toward their daughter.
Multiple warning signs emerged before the tragedy, including Deontre's threats toward Zea and aggressive behavior. Despite Kirsten's repeated calls to authorities between March 15-20, 2023, reporting incidents such as Deontre taking Zea from the bathtub and later from daycare, her concerns were not addressed with appropriate urgency. The situation escalated when Deontre confronted Kirsten at her workplace, physically assaulted her, and left with both their daughter and Kirsten's phone, setting in motion a heartbreaking chain of events that would ultimately lead to unimaginable tragedy.
Key Takeaways
A two-year-old child became the victim of escalating tensions between separated parents despite multiple warning signs.
Law enforcement reportedly failed to adequately respond to numerous calls for help and documented threats before the tragedy occurred.
The breakdown of communication systems between parents, childcare providers, and authorities created a fatal gap in protection for a vulnerable child.
The Heartbreaking Confrontation
On March 20, 2023, a tragic series of events unfolded that would forever change the lives of a Houston family. What began as a normal Monday morning quickly spiraled into unimaginable horror when Deontre Flanigan arrived unannounced at his daughter Zea's daycare center and removed the 2-year-old from the facility.
Deontre, fueled by jealousy and anger over his separation from Kirsten Watson, Zea's mother, proceeded to the Walmart where Kirsten worked. He carried Zea into the store and confronted Kirsten, demanding access to her phone to check if she was seeing another man.
Despite Kirsten repeatedly providing her passcode, Deontre's rage escalated. He struck her multiple times in front of numerous witnesses, then fled the store with both Zea and Kirsten's phone. Kirsten immediately contacted authorities, who began tracking her phone to locate Deontre and Zea.
As events unfolded, Deontre initiated a FaceTime call connecting him with Kirsten and her father, Curtis Watson. What happened next was beyond comprehension - Deontre showed Kirsten the lifeless body of their daughter. "He showed me the lifeless corpse of my granddaughter," Kirsten's parent later recounted. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
This horrific incident didn't come without warning signs. In the days leading up to the tragedy, Kirsten had contacted authorities multiple times:
Date Police Response Incident March 15, 2023 Report filed as "terroristic threat" Deontre took Zea from bath unannounced March 19, 2023 Report filed as "telephone harassment" Escalating threats via text and calls March 20, 2023 Active response Assault at Walmart and subsequent tragedy
The relationship between Kirsten and Deontre had deteriorated significantly after their separation. While Kirsten attempted to move forward with her life, Deontre couldn't accept this reality. His obsession with the possibility of Kirsten loving someone else led him to repeatedly threaten harm to their child.
Zea Flanigan, described by those who knew her as brilliant, loving and bubbly, had brought light to everyone around her. At just two years old, she possessed a personality that shined brightly, maintaining a wonderful attitude that brightened the lives of all who knew her.
The Life of Zea Flanigan
Zea Flanigan was a vibrant 2-year-old girl living in Houston, Texas. Known for her brilliant personality and loving nature, she brought joy to those around her with her bubbly demeanor and amazing attitude.
In early 2023, Zea split her time between her separated parents, Kristen Watson and Deontre Flanigan. The relationship between her parents had deteriorated significantly after their breakup, with Deontre harboring significant resentment toward Kristen's attempts to move forward with her life.
Between March 15-20, 2023, tensions escalated dramatically. Deontre began sending threatening messages to Kristen, specifically threatening harm to Zea. On March 15, he unexpectedly entered Kristen's home and took Zea from her bath, leaving with the undressed child.
March 15: Report of terroristic threats
March 19: Report of telephone harassment
March 20: Assault at Walmart and subsequent tragedy
Despite multiple calls to authorities expressing concern for Zea's safety, Kristen felt her warnings weren't taken seriously. Officers reportedly told her they had insufficient evidence to file a criminal complaint.
On the morning of March 20, Deontre removed Zea from her daycare center without prior arrangement. He then brought her to the Walmart where Kristen worked, confronting her about alleged relationships with other men. During this confrontation, Deontre struck Kristen several times and demanded access to her phone.
After fleeing the store with both Zea and Kristen's phone, the situation took a tragic turn. A FaceTime call was established between Kristen and Deontre, with Kristen's father Curtis Watson also involved in communications. What Kristen witnessed on that call was devastating—her daughter's condition had severely deteriorated under her father's care.
Parental Separation and Custody Disputes
When Ksten Watson and Deandre Flanigan ended their relationship, their separation created a dangerous environment for their two-year-old daughter Zea. The former couple's arrangement allowed Zea to split time between both parents, but the situation was far from peaceful.
Deandre struggled significantly with the breakup, unable to accept Ksten moving forward with her life. His resentment manifested in constant accusations about new relationships and escalating threats. What began as harassment through text messages and phone calls soon evolved into more concerning behavior directly involving their daughter.
By mid-March 2023, the situation had become critical. Ksten made multiple reports to Houston authorities between March 15-20, desperately seeking protection for her daughter. One particularly alarming incident occurred when Deandre burst into their home unannounced, grabbing Zea naked from her bath and fleeing the residence.
Despite presenting evidence of threats to police, Ksten faced a frustrating response:
Officers claimed insufficient evidence to file criminal complaints
No significant effort was made to locate father and daughter
Police appeared to view the situation as a routine custody dispute
When Zea was returned unharmed the following day, authorities seemed to consider the matter resolved. However, the harassment continued, with police responding to additional calls on March 19 for telephone harassment related to the same situation.
The breaking point came on Monday, March 20, 2023. Deandre removed Zea from daycare without authorization, then brought her to the Walmart where Ksten worked. There, he publicly confronted Ksten, demanding access to her phone while threatening to harm their daughter if she refused.
During this confrontation, Deandre:
Struck Ksten repeatedly in the face
Took her phone by force
Left the store with both Zea and the stolen phone
With visible injuries and multiple witnesses, Ksten again contacted authorities. This time, officers took immediate action, tracking Ksten's phone to locate father and daughter. What followed was a desperate communication through FaceTime as Ksten and her father attempted to reason with Deandre, but the situation had already escalated beyond control.
DeAntre's Violent Behavior
Growing Bitterness and Blame
DeAntre Flanigan struggled significantly with the end of his relationship with Kirsten Watson. While Kirsten attempted to move forward with her life after their separation, DeAntre harbored intense resentment. He repeatedly accused Kirsten of seeing other men, despite their official breakup. These accusations weren't mere passive comments—they became an obsession for the 26-year-old father.
His inability to accept the relationship's end manifested in increasingly hostile behavior. DeAntre bombarded Kirsten with text messages and phone calls, often appearing at her home uninvited. Most disturbing was his pattern of using their 2-year-old daughter Zea as a weapon in his campaign against Kirsten, explicitly threatening to harm the child to punish her mother.
Mounting Threats
Between March 15-20, 2023, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Kirsten contacted authorities multiple times, expressing serious concerns about Zea's safety. On March 15, a frightening incident occurred when DeAntre burst into Kirsten's home, grabbed Zea from her bath, and fled with the undressed child. This unplanned removal prompted Kirsten to call police immediately.
Despite showing officers threatening text messages, authorities claimed they had "insufficient evidence" to file criminal complaints. According to Kirsten, they seemed dismissive of her concerns, treating the situation as a routine custody disagreement rather than a dangerous threat. She specifically warned them that something terrible would happen if they didn't intervene.
Police Response Timeline:
March 15: Report of terroristic threat (after bathtub incident)
March 19: Report of telephone harassment
Both reports resulted in minimal action
Sudden Abduction
On Monday, March 20, 2023, the situation reached its breaking point. DeAntre arrived unexpectedly at Zea's daycare, fabricating a reason to take her. He then drove to the Walmart where Kirsten worked, carrying his daughter inside to confront her mother.
Inside the store, surrounded by customers and staff, DeAntre demanded Kirsten's phone and passcode, threatening to hurt Zea if she refused. Despite Kirsten repeatedly providing the passcode, DeAntre struck her multiple times in the face. He then took both her phone and Zea before fleeing the store.
Following this assault, Kirsten immediately contacted police. With visible injuries and multiple witnesses, authorities began tracking Kirsten's phone to locate DeAntre and Zea. What followed was a devastating FaceTime call where Kirsten and her father Curtis Watson would witness unimaginable horror as they desperately tried to reason with DeAntre.
System Shortcomings
Police Response Failures
The authorities' handling of the escalating threats against two-year-old Zea Flanigan revealed significant gaps in law enforcement protocols. When Kirsten Watson first contacted police on March 15, 2023, after Deontre Flanigan forcibly removed their undressed daughter from the bathtub, officers appeared dismissive of her concerns. Despite presenting text messages containing explicit threats against Zea, police claimed they had "insufficient evidence" to file a criminal complaint. This initial police interaction set a troubling precedent, as officers conducted only a brief welfare check that yielded no results.
Just four days later, on March 19, Harris County Police Department responded to another call regarding telephone harassment from Deontre, yet again no meaningful intervention occurred. The pattern of minimal response continued despite:
Multiple documented reports of threats
Physical evidence in the form of threatening text messages
Clear signs of escalating behavior
A mother's explicit warnings about imminent danger
These missed opportunities for intervention highlight a critical failure in recognizing domestic violence warning signs, particularly when children are involved in custody disputes without formal arrangements.
A Mother's Desperate Pleas
Kirsten Watson's efforts to protect her daughter were persistent and increasingly desperate. She repeatedly sought help from law enforcement, making it clear she feared for Zea's safety. During her interactions with police, Kirsten explicitly asked them if they would "wait until something horrific happened" before taking action. Her frustration was evident when she felt officers treated her concerns as if she were fabricating the situation.
The breaking point came on March 20, 2023, when Deontre:
Removed Zea from daycare without authorization
Confronted Kirsten at her workplace (Walmart)
Physically assaulted Kirsten in public
Took Kirsten's phone and fled with their daughter
Only after this public assault with multiple witnesses did authorities begin tracking Kirsten's phone to locate Deontre and Zea. By then, Kirsten and her father Curtis Watson were desperately trying to reason with Deontre via FaceTime. When Kirsten first saw her daughter during these calls, she immediately recognized the gravity of the situation, seeing clear signs of distress in the little girl's appearance.
The Ultimate Tragedy
Disturbing Video Call Discovery
On March 20, 2023, Kirsten Watson experienced a mother's worst nightmare when her ex-partner Deontre Flanigan initiated a FaceTime call that would haunt her forever. During this call, Deontre showed Kirsten the lifeless body of their two-year-old daughter Zea. Despite Kirsten's desperate pleas—"That is your daughter, stop!"—Deontre continued with his horrific display. This shocking moment came after weeks of escalating threats and concerning behavior from Deontre, who had been unable to accept the end of their relationship and had repeatedly threatened to harm Zea as revenge against Kirsten for moving on with her life.
Violence at the Workplace
Earlier that fateful day, Deontre had removed Zea from her daycare without permission and brought her to the Walmart where Kirsten worked. Inside the store, he confronted Kirsten publicly, demanding her phone and passcode while threatening to hurt their daughter if she didn't comply. Despite Kirsten repeatedly providing the passcode as requested, Deontre became increasingly agitated. The situation escalated when he struck Kirsten multiple times in the face before taking her phone and leaving the store with Zea.
This assault occurred in front of numerous witnesses, including Kirsten's coworkers. Immediately after the attack, Kirsten contacted authorities, who finally took her concerns seriously after seeing her injuries and hearing witness accounts of the violent incident.
Deadly High-Speed Pursuit
Following the assault at Walmart, authorities began tracking Kirsten's stolen phone to locate Deontre and Zea. Throughout this time, both Kirsten and her father Curtis Watson maintained contact with Deontre via FaceTime calls. These desperate communications revealed the horrifying reality of the situation—when Kirsten first saw her daughter on the video call, she immediately recognized the grave danger Zea was in.
As police attempted to intercept Deontre, he led them on a high-speed chase while still maintaining the video connection. The pursuit ended in the worst possible way, with two-year-old Zea losing her life at the hands of her father. This tragic outcome followed multiple reports to authorities between March 15-19, 2023, including documented threats and a previous incident where Deontre had taken Zea from the bathtub without permission—warnings that unfortunately did not prompt sufficient intervention to protect the child.
Reflection and Outcomes
The devastating events surrounding little Zea Flanigan reflect a catastrophic failure of the protective systems designed to safeguard vulnerable children. Despite multiple reports to authorities between March 15-20, 2023, the escalating threats and dangerous behavior exhibited by Deontre Flanigan toward his 2-year-old daughter were not adequately addressed. Law enforcement responses to Kirsten's desperate pleas were insufficient, with officers citing "lack of evidence" despite documented threats and concerning incidents.
The timeline of tragedy reveals multiple warning signs. On March 15, Deontre stormed into Kirsten's home, removing an undressed Zea from her bath without permission. This unauthorized removal prompted Kirsten's first emergency call. Just days later, additional reports were filed for terroristic threats and telephone harassment, documenting the father's increasingly unstable behavior.
Critical Moments Leading to Tragedy:
March 15: Unauthorized removal of Zea from bath
March 15-19: Multiple police reports filed for threats
March 20: Deontre removed Zea from daycare without authorization
March 20: Physical assault on Kirsten at her workplace (Walmart)
The final confrontation at Walmart demonstrated the violent escalation, with Deontre physically attacking Kirsten before fleeing with both their daughter and Kirsten's phone. This public assault finally prompted more serious police involvement, including tracking efforts of the stolen phone to locate father and daughter.
The most haunting aspect occurred during a FaceTime call between Kirsten, her father Curtis, and Deontre. What began as desperate pleas from a mother to protect her child transformed into an unimaginable nightmare as Kirsten witnessed her daughter's condition through the screen, revealing the horrific reality of Deontre's actions.
