Indiana Foster Mother Charged in Crushing Death of 10-Year-Old Boy

VALPARAISO, IN – A 48-year-old Indiana woman has been sentenced to prison after her 10-year-old foster son died from asphyxiation when she sat on him, believing he was “faking” distress. Jennifer Lee Wilson was charged with reckless homicide in the death of Dakota Stevens.

On April 25th, police responded to an emergency call at Wilson’s Valparaiso home, where they found Dakota unresponsive. Officers noted a visible bruise on the boy’s neck and chest. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Dakota was pronounced dead at the hospital two days later.

Investigators learned that Dakota, who was 4’10” and weighed 90 pounds, had run away from home earlier that day. Wilson, who is 4’11” and weighs 340 pounds, told police she found him at a neighbor’s house and brought him back. She claimed Dakota was “acting bad” and throwing himself on the ground.

Wilson admitted to sitting on Dakota for approximately five minutes. Ring surveillance footage corroborated her account, capturing the moment she was positioned on the boy’s neck and head area as he screamed. The video revealed Dakota’s screams gradually fading until he became silent.

Wilson chillingly told investigators that she initially believed Dakota was “faking” his distress. “Are you faking?” she reportedly asked the lifeless boy before instructing another child to call 911. “I was laying on him and he was acting bad,” Wilson stated in the video.

An autopsy revealed Dakota died of mechanical asphyxia, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. He suffered catastrophic injuries, including organ and soft tissue damage, as well as liver and lung hemorrhaging.

A neighbor reported that Dakota had sought refuge at her home earlier that day, asking to be adopted and claiming his “parents” had hit him.

In January, Wilson was sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended to be served on probation. She had been fostering three adopted children at the time of the incident.

The Indiana Department of Child Services has confirmed that Wilson’s foster parent license is suspended and under review.