Jennifer Lee Wilson, Indiana foster mom charged with reckless homicide in death of 10 year old son, Dakota Levi Stevens, who she was trying to restrain after running away over alleged abuse. How Dept of Child Services failed a 10 year old boy.
‘He was acting bad…’ A foster mother from Indiana has been charged with reckless homicide after the 340 pound woman sat on her 10 year old son for seven minutes, killing him.
Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, was arrested in the death of Dakota Levi Stevens on July 13, two and a half months after the ten year old boy’s death, following a medical emergency on April 25, the Porter County Sheriff’s Office stated in a release.
Officers responded to a home in Liberty Township, Ind., that afternoon and found the boy with bruising on his lower neck and chest and no longer breathing. The boy was pronounced dead two days after being airlifted to hospital.
‘He was acting bad…’
Earlier that day the boy had run away from home and gone to his neighbor’s home, telling them that his foster parents hit him and wouldn’t let him speak to his caseworker.
The foster mom found Stevens speaking to the neighbor and forced the 10 year old to get into her car and drove him back to her house, according to court documents obtained by the Kansas City Star.
After bringing the boy home, Wilson told police her son was still ‘acting up’ and threw himself on the ground saying he was leaving—at which point she lay on his midsection and called his caseworker, the affidavit said. Moments later the boy lost consciousness.
The boy’s death came less than a month after Lake County, Indiana Department of Child Services placing the 10 year old with Wilson according to the The Indianapolis Star.
Court documents stated Wilson admitting to laying on the boy for about five minutes before he stopped moving, WGN-TV reported.
‘Wilson stated that when she attempted to stop him from leaving, she does not know if she tackled Dakota or they fell to the ground, however her intention was to hold him,’ court documents allege.
Failed by Child Services?
As she held Dakota down, Wilson stated she had one hand holding her phone and the other bracing her, authorities said. Wilson later asked Dakota ‘Are you faking?’ rolled him over and it appeared his eyelids were pale, court documents stated.
But there’s more.
A review of Ring video footage showed Wilson laying on the boy’s head and neck area as he screamed. In another video, she can allegedly be heard saying, ‘I was laying on him and he was acting bad.’
Upon the boy stopping breathing, Wilson began administering CPR and called 911, court documents stated.
An autopsy stated Dakota dying of mechanical asphyxia and the manner of death was homicide. The autopsy also said that the boy suffered organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging, and other injuries.
Dakota stood 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 90 pounds, while Wilson stood 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 340 pounds, the affidavit stated according to CBS News.
Stevens’ biological family told the Chicago Tribune he and his younger sister were removed from their biological parents’ house because of their parents’ reported drug use when Dakota was just five years old.
His father died, and their mother eventually relinquished her parental rights.
Dakota’s sister was later adopted, while Dakota bounced between family members, foster homes and a mental health care facility before he was sent to live with Wilson again in early April.
She has since claimed that the boy had ‘verbal and physical aggression issues.’
Wilson has since had other foster children under her care removed. A spokesperson for Child Protection Services said that Wilson’s license is on hold pending revocation.
