Her body was found February 14, 2011, wrapped in a plastic garbage bag in the bed of her adoptive father's pickup truck on the side of I-95 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

[4][5] Her twin brother, Victor Docter Barahona, was in the cab of the truck with his father, suffering seizures from chemical burns and inhalation of toxic gas.

The twins were placed in foster care, and eventually ended up in the home of Jorge and Carmen Barahona in Miami, Florida.

[4] Then, in 2006, school staff called DCF to report a large bruise on Nubia's face that they suspected was child abuse.

The Barahonas were ordered to bring her to an appointment with the Department of Health's Child Protection Team in Miami, but did not show up until a week later.

In these letters, the Barahonas described the care that they were providing to the twins positively, stating that they were "raising [their] children with love, as any mother and father would do.

[21] Further investigation revealed that Victor was covered in acid, and there was so much of it in the car that it soaked the carpet and seats, making the air around the truck poisonous.

[20] The identity of the body was withheld from the public for two days after its discovery, then revealed to be that of Nubia Barahona, Victor's twin sister.

He had suffered "severe internal reactions" to the inhalation of toxic fumes in the truck, and had chemical burns over large portions of his body.

While in custody, he confessed to police that he had been upset by the death of his daughter and had driven to Palm Beach County with the plan to commit suicide by setting himself on fire.

[22] Autopsy results concluded that Nubia was beaten to death on February 11, the day a DCF official came to investigate a call to their abuse hotline.

According to the police report, Jorge allegedly "repeatedly punched and beat Nubia" who "screamed and cried until she was dead".

[3][12] Carmen Barahona, Jorge's wife, told investigators when questioned that she and her husband had been separated for six months, when in fact they had never been apart.

Alessandra had alleged to her therapist that while visiting her grandmother's house, twins Nubia and Victor were bound by their hands and feet and made to stand for hours in a bathtub.

[10][11][12][27] Judge Cindy Lederman expressed outrage at the actions of Andrea Fleary, a DCF worker assigned to the case.

On Thursday, February 10, Fleary visited the Barahona home to investigate an abuse hotline call, but despite not making contact with the children, she reported they were safe.

[12] When Fleary told the judge about 11-year-old Jorge's attempts to alert her to abuse on Friday, she said the conversations had taken place late in the evening.

"[28] DCF Secretary David Wilkins defended Fleary, claiming she was rattled during the hearing and that "[w]e do investigations 24/7 ... We have employees who work weekends.

[30] When asked how they could have ignored signs of Nubia's abuse, such as her hair loss and constant hunger, Wilkins stated that "[t]he medical conditions of the children complicated the decision-making of our investigators".

[12] Wilkins, who had only been DCF secretary for a few months at the time of Nubia's death, has also criticized the organization's abuse hotline, comparing it to a "low-cost call center".

[31] Carmen Barahona filed for divorce from Jorge in late February,[26] but was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on March 5.

[35][36] In January 2016, Circuit Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer set the case for jury selection to start July 25.

[38] In April 2017, Victor Barahona received US$3.75 million as part of a settlement with the Florida Department of Children and Families.

[39] On February 21, 2020, Carmen Barahona pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated child abuse.

[40] On February 26, 2020, lawyers for Jorge Barahona requested his trial date be delayed due to Carmen's plea deal.

[41] On March 1, 2021, Barahona was attacked in the Pre-Trial Detention Center as he slept and suffered multiple bruises on his face, a nosebleed, and a small cut on his nose.