Boy, 10, crushed to death after ’24 stone foster mum sat on him for misbehaving’

A 10-year-old boy in the US was crushed to death after his 24 stone-heavy foster mum sat on him for misbehaving.

Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, from Indiana, was charged with reckless homicide in death of Dakota Levi Stevens.

Wilson told police Dakota had run off earlier that day and that she found him at a neighbour’s home, according to a court affidavit.

She said when they returned to her house in Valparaiso he began misbehaving, throwing himself on the ground outside.

It is alleged she sat on the boy, putting pressure on his head and neck, while phoning his case worker, during which time he was screaming.

Wilson, who had been looking after Dakota for around a month, told police she sat on him for around five minutes.

When he stopped moving and went quiet she initially thought he was pretending, the court notes state.

She said she then rolled him over and noticed his eyelids were unusually pale.

Emergency services were called but when they arrived they found Dakota had stopped breathing and had no pulse.

The boy, who weighed 6.5 stone, was airlifted to hospital where he was taken off life support and died two days later.

Wilson appeared ‘visibly distraught’ when police arrived at the house, the affidavit, obtained by ExpressUK.com, said.

An autopsy found Dakota had suffered catastrophic injuries including organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging, while the cause of death was mechanical asphyxia.

The St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office concluded Dakota’ death – which happened in April last year – was a homicide.

The court documents said Ring doorbell footage was recovered, which shows Wilson lying on the boy’s neck and head area while he screamed.

The screams gradually fade, before she notices he’s not moving and she can be heard shouting ‘Dakota’ numerous times.

She then tells one of her other children to phone 911.

‘I was laying on him and he was acting bad,’ Wilson is heard saying in the video.

In January she was sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended to be served on probation, according to NBC5.

She lived with three adopted children in her home, as well as Dakota.

The Department of Child Services confirmed her foster parent license is suspended and under review.

A former foster parent to Dakota called, Hayden Hertzel posted a tribute on Facebook in April last year, saying: Thank you for the laughs, the cries, the sleepless nights, the endless memories.. your excitement & passion for anything that you did & put your mind too AMAZED me.

‘I hope you are up there dancing & singing & eating all of the chicken nuggets & pizza that you can ever imagine. Along with all of the sweets you loved to eat down here!

‘You’re free … The system definitely failed you my son… until we meet again… I love you, I love you, I love you!!!’

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