A Norfolk mother was sentenced to five years in prison this week after her 14-year-old daughter died from multiple organ failure brought on by diabetes that had gone untreated for years. Christian Monique Roberts pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges connected to the death of her daughter, Amari Roberts, who collapsed in the entranceway of the family's Adele Drive home in January 2023.
A Norfolk Circuit Court judge handed down the sentence on October 9, according to The Virginian-Pilot, which first reported the sentencing. Amari was taken to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters after she collapsed, with blood glucose levels that had climbed above 700 — more than six times the upper bound of a normal reading, which typically falls between 70 and 106, per a stipulation of facts cited in the case.
A Diagnosis at Age 3, Then Years Without a Doctor
Amari was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus when she was just 3 years old. Clinical guidance published by Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters stresses that the condition requires continuous specialist monitoring, since unmanaged blood sugar can rapidly spiral into diabetic ketoacidosis, organ failure, and death. According to the stipulation of facts in Amari's case, she had not seen a doctor since a virtual endocrinology appointment in 2021.
Court testimony indicated that Roberts forbade Amari from returning to CHKD doctors following a dispute with a physician there. Prosecutors said the missed appointments made it difficult for medical professionals to issue treatment recommendations for the teenager. A CHKD spokesperson declined to comment on Amari's care, citing medical privacy laws. Amari lived on Adele Drive with her grandmother and both parents, Chike Butler and Roberts, along with her nine siblings.
A 2014 Warning Sign That Didn't Prevent Tragedy
This was not the first time child welfare officials had intervened in Amari's care. Norfolk's Department of Human Services reopened a prior investigation in 2014 after Amari's blood sugar levels rose, and the stipulation of facts says she returned home only after her parents met with the department and reviewed a care plan. Butler and Roberts both signed an agreement acknowledging they understood Amari's medical needs.
Virginia's child protective services system is generally required to pursue formal investigations rather than lighter family assessments when allegations involve severe harm or immediate safety risks, and formal care agreements are required when children remain in the home, according to guidelines from the Virginia Department of Social Services. Statewide, the agency's data shows medical neglect accounted for just 107 founded investigations in State Fiscal Year 2024, a small slice of the 3,559 founded physical neglect cases overall that year.
Guilty Pleas, Delays, and a Father's Account
Both parents were charged with involuntary manslaughter, child abuse and neglect, child endangerment, and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Butler pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, child abuse and neglect, and child endangerment, and was sentenced to five years in prison back in April. At a hearing that same month, Butler indicated that the ban on CHKD visits made it difficult for the family to get Amari treated.
Roberts pleaded guilty to the same set of charges in January but had her sentencing pushed back to October after she requested a new attorney. She ultimately received the same five-year sentence as Butler. Amari's siblings were placed in foster care following her death.
What the Charges Carry Under Virginia Law
Under Virginia Code § 18.2-36, involuntary manslaughter is a Class 5 felony punishable by one to ten years in prison, or, at the discretion of the court or jury, up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The child neglect statute the couple pleaded under, Virginia Code § 18.2-371.1, treats neglect involving reckless disregard for human life as a Class 6 felony carrying up to five years in prison, while neglect causing serious life-threatening injury is a Class 4 felony with a range of two to ten years. A related misdemeanor charge, contributing to the delinquency or neglect of a child under Virginia Code § 18.2-371, carries a maximum of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Fatal Neglect Cases Remain Rare for Teenagers
Amari's death stands out in state data as an unusual case. The Family and Children's Trust Fund of Virginia has reported that more than 70% of fatal child neglect victims statewide are under age three, even though child maltreatment fatalities overall hit a ten-year peak in State Fiscal Year 2021. Thirty children died from verified abuse or neglect across Virginia in State Fiscal Year 2024 out of 165 reports evaluated by state officials, according to the Virginia Department of Social Services.
CHKD remains the primary specialized pediatric health system in Hampton Roads, running dedicated pediatric endocrinology services and diabetes transition programs for local youth. It's unclear from court records exactly what unfolded in the years between the family's 2014 care agreement with Norfolk's Department of Human Services and Amari's death in January 2023, or how her nine siblings are faring in foster care today.
