A tragic incident unfolded in Michigan when a 10-year-old boy lost his life after his foster mother, who weighs 340 pounds, sat on him as a form of punishment. The boy, Dakota Stevens, was reportedly being unruly, leading Jennifer Wilson, his foster mother, to take this drastic action. Wilson informed the police that Dakota had run away from home earlier that day and was behaving poorly after she brought him back from a neighbor’s house.
According to court documents, Wilson stated that Dakota threw himself on the front lawn of their home. In response, she sat on him while she dialed his caseworker. The boy screamed and eventually stopped moving under her weight. Wilson initially believed that Dakota was pretending to be injured until she noticed his pale eyelids when she rolled him over. The court affidavit noted that Wilson appeared “visibly distraught” when the police arrived to find Dakota motionless and without a pulse.
Dakota was quickly airlifted to a nearby hospital, but the medical team was unable to save him. He was removed from life support two days later, a mere month after he had been placed in Wilson’s care.
Authorities have reportedly uncovered disturbing footage from a Ring camera that shows Wilson sitting on Dakota’s head and neck for about 20 seconds. The video captures the boy’s desperate cries gradually fading away.
Upon realizing the gravity of the situation, Wilson instructed one of her other foster children to call 911. In the video, she can be heard repeatedly shouting Dakota’s name as she realized he had stopped breathing.
Wilson, who was fostering three other children in her Berrien County home, now faces a potential six-year prison sentence if convicted. A spokesperson for the Department of Child Services confirmed that Wilson’s foster parent license has been suspended and is under review for permanent revocation.