Promise was found alive after surviving for approximately two weeks alone in her apartment, subsisting solely on chocolate, while the bodies of her mother and eight-year-old brother lay nearby.
The discovery was made on May 2, 2025, when Lisa Cotton’s eldest daughter visited the apartment due to concerns over the family’s well-being. Upon entering, she found her brother, Nazir Millien, slumped over and unresponsive, and Promise sitting on their mother’s bed, surrounded by candy wrappers, attempting to feed herself. Emergency services confirmed that both Lisa and Nazir were deceased at the scene.
Lisa’s father, 71-year-old Hubert Cotton, had been trying to contact his daughter for days without success. He received a call from Lisa’s landlord inquiring if she had moved out, prompting further concern. Neighbors reported not seeing the family for over two weeks and noted a foul odor emanating from the apartment, which they initially attributed to a rat infestation.
Promise was taken to a local hospital in stable condition and has since been discharged into the care of her grandfather. Understandably, she has been left traumatized by the ordeal. “She hasn’t said anything. She’s a baby. She looks at me sometimes, you know? Like she knows something,” Hubert shared.
The causes of death for Lisa and Nazir remain undetermined. Lisa was known to have asthma, and authorities are continuing their investigation.
This tragic case underscores the importance of community vigilance and timely welfare checks, especially when neighbors notice prolonged absences or unusual odors.