On April 25, 2024, at 3:37pm, a desperate 911 call came in from Liberty Township, Indiana. First responders arrived to find 10 year old Dakota Levi Stevens unresponsive on the ground. No pulse, not breathing. Officers took over CPR from someone already trying to revive him, but his condition was critical. He was airlifted to a children’s hospital in South Bend only to die two days later on April 27th.

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Dakota, a 10 year old foster child, was 4ft 10 inches and weighed just 90 pounds. He’d spent nearly five years moving in and out of foster homes, both him and his sister. This occurred after their father died in 2021 and their mother gave up her parental rights. Relatives tried to adopt both children but were unsuccessful. Now they’re left remembering Dakota as a sweet, smart and, um, loving boy who loved to explore and hunt for bugs. His cousin Kim Snell said, quote, every bug that he saw, he wanted to explore it. And when he grabbed it, he was like, uncle Levi is here. His former foster dad, Hayden Herzl posted on Facebook in April, quote, the system definitely failed you, my son. Uncle, I love you, I love you, I love you. In contrast, Jennifer Lee Wilson, his foster mother, was 48 years old, stood 4ft 11 inches and weighed 340 pounds. She had only been Dakota’s caretaker for about a month at the time of his death. That afternoon, Jennifer told police that Dakota had been acting bad all day. He had refused to do chores and eventually left the house. He walked a few blocks to a neighbor’s home and begged her to adopt him, telling her his, quote, parents hit him in the face and didn’t let him call his caseworker. The neighbor saw no visible injuries but described A scared boy. When Jennifer showed up to get him, she told the woman to mind her own business and drove Dakota back home. Back at the house, Dakota refused to get out of the car. When he finally did, he screamed that he was leaving again. Jennifer tried to stop him. She later told investigators she wasn’t sure if she had tackled him or if they both fell, but she admitted her intention was to restrain him. Her ring doorbell camera captured what happened next, and, um, the video revealed more than she admitted. The footage showed Jennifer lying across Dakota’s midsection near his neck and head. At first, Dakota fought back, flailing and screaming, trying to free himself. Jennifer admitted she stayed on top of him for about five minutes, even calling his caseworker during that time to, quote, calm him down. She told investigators that she, quote, eventually got out of breath due to her weight. Two separate clips together, lasting about seven minutes, showed Jennifer on top of Dakota as he went. Still, when he stopped moving, Jennifer, she asked, quote, are you faking? After getting no response, she rolled him over, saw the pale eyelids, began CPR, and called 911. At uh, the scene, police noted bruises on Dakota’s lower neck and chest. The autopsy later showed the extent of his injuries. Organ and soft tissue damage, hemorrhaging in his liver and lungs, severe brain swelling, and prolonged oxygen deprivation. The cause of death was listed as mechanical asphyxia. The manner of death was reported as homicide. Police said that Jennifer was visibly distraught at the scene. She screamed Dakota’s name before telling officers, quote, I was laying on him and he was acting bad. Still, investigators took their time building the case. They used license plate reader data to locate and arrest her on July 13, 2024. Two months later, with overwhelming evidence, especially the ring footage and the autopsy, Jennifer pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in October 2024. By January 17, 2025, Judge Michael Bergerson sentenced uh her to six years in prison, with one year suspended, followed by one year of probation.

I’m not here expecting forgiveness. If the roles were reversed, I can’t say I would be able to forgive the person responsible for the death of my loved one. I am deeply saddened and sorry for my role in this horrible tragedy.

The maximum penalty for reckless homicide In Indiana is six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Family members describe the sentencing as a start toward justice. Painful but necessary. His cousin, Logan Mills, said, we are.

Pretty happy with the result. It doesn’t bring him back, but it’s a start.

Marley Paris, another cousin, said, I just.

Wanted to say thank you to the courts for listening to us.

A third cousin, Mary Snell, said, she’s.

Taken a big part of us away from us. She got to live her life for another nine months after his death.

His foster grandfather, Joe Hetzel, said, it.

Gives us a little closure but will never heal. He will always be in our hearts and in our minds.

Still, even in sentencing, questions linger. DCS had placed Dakota in Jennifer’s care only a month before. His siblings were also under her supervision and both were removed following his death. Dakota’s death stands as another reminder of how fragile the foster care system can be and how easily children slip through its cracks. For Hayden Herzl and others who love Dakota, the sense of loss is permanent. As Hayden wrote, quote, the system definitely failed you.

This was a devastating case and of course people had a lot to say about it. Kai pulled some of those reactions from around the web and we’re going to share a few with you. The first comment says there are far too few people willing to be foster parents. Unfortunately, that means the state will give kids to pretty much anyone willing to do it. Worse yet, a good amount of those willing participants do it for the money and not the kids. Another commenter said, as a licensed ex foster parent, I’m now retired. I am surprised that she only received six years. To qualify as a foster parent, you must attend training and you sign a lengthy contract with your state that specifically prevents you from exercising physical restraint or punishment and all inappropriate behavior on the part of the foster child is to be immediately reported to child services and if necessary, the police. This crime should have received more than just a slap on the wrist. A third comment said he suffered organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung, hemorrhaging and other injuries. She literally crushed his organs. How evil. When I was a kid, if I got in trouble, my mom or dad would paddle my butt and it was over and we moved on. It hurt a little but was very effective and in no way abusing. Basically I got busted, paid the price, and me and my loving parents moved on. And the final comment we’re going to read today says the judge should be disbarred. Six years for killing a child by laying her butt on this little guy. She should have a life sentence. He asked for help. Way too many foster parents are abusive and are just in it for the money. Just check the news. Every time I hear of children being starved or lock in their room with a mattress full of feces, I wonder what is wrong with our Child Protective Service. And that’s the last comment. What did you think of this case and what others had to say about it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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