
An Indiana foster mother is at the center of a tragic case involving the death of her 10-year-old foster son, Dakota Levi Stevens, after she allegedly laid on him, causing his asphyxiation. The woman, identified as 48-year-old Jennifer Lee Wilson, was charged with reckless homicide when she was arrested in New Buffalo Township, Michigan, as reported by Audacy.
According to officials, Dakota died following an incident in late April in which Wilson, who weighs approximately 340 pounds, laid on him for around five minutes as discipline for fleeing to a neighbor's house. Despite a doorbell camera capturing Wilson atop the boy, she reportedly believed he was pretending to be unresponsive, detailed in the court documents obtained by Fox 8.
Dakota, who had been placed in foster care due to his biological mother's struggles with addiction and the death of his birth father, had been living with Wilson for just under a month. The St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office ruled Dakota's death a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxia. If convicted of reckless homicide, Wilson faces up to six years in prison, according to the laws in Indiana, as the New York Post states.
The tragic situation was heightened by accounts that, not long before the fatal incident, Dakota had approached a neighbor asking to be adopted. The neighbor told authorities, as per the reports in FOX 8, that the boy alleged he had been struck in the face by his foster parents and was not allowed to contact his caseworker. However, the neighbor did not observe any visible injuries on him.
In the aftermath of Dakota's death and the ensuing investigation, the Indiana Department of Child Services placed a "placement hold" on Wilson's foster home and eventually revoked her foster care license, as of June 30. Wilson and her husband had already been considering relinquishing their foster care license to pursue personal interests before Dakota's death, as FOX 8 detailed, citing the extensive responsibilities that come with foster care and a desire to travel.
Amidst the legal proceedings, Dakota's biological family expressed their grief and frustration. In an interview with FOX 8, Ana Parrish-Parker, Dakota's birth aunt who previously cared for him and his sister, remembered him as an energetic child whose life was cut tragically short. Dakota's previous foster father, Hayden Hetzel, also shared fond memories, highlighting the warm relationship they shared during the time Dakota lived with him.