An Indiana foster mother has been sentenced to six years in prison after she crushed a 10-year-old boy to death by sitting on him for several minutes as a form of punishment.
Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was convicted of reckless homicide in the death of Dakota Levi Stevens. On April 25, 2023, authorities responded to Wilson’s home after she reported that the child was not breathingand had no pulse. Despite attempts to revive him, Dakota was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital.
According to court filings, Wilson admitted to authorities that Dakota had run away from home, and after finding him at a neighbor’s house, she forcibly brought him back home. She stated that Dakota continued to “act bad” and attempted to leave the house again.
Wilson claimed she pinned Dakota down, allegedly by sitting on his midsection for at least five minutes to keep him from leaving. During that time, Dakota stopped moving, but Wilson believed he was faking it.
“Are you faking?” Wilson allegedly asked before turning him over and realizing his eyelids had turned pale. At that point, she began performing CPR and called 911.
When officers arrived, they found bruising on Dakota’s lower neck and chest, indicative of severe compression injuries. Dakota was later pronounced dead at South Bend Memorial Hospital. An autopsy revealed that his cause of death was mechanical asphyxia, meaning he was crushed to death. His manner of death was ruled a homicide.
A neighbor later told investigators that Dakota had run to her house shortly before the incident, begging her to adopt the boy because his foster parents hit him in the face. The neighbor said she did not notice any visible injuries on Dakota at the time, but Wilson soon arrived to forcibly bring him back home.
Wilson, who weighed 340 pounds, admitted that she “did not know if she tackled Dakota or they fell to the ground” but confirmed her intention was to hold the boy down. Dakota, who was 4’10” and weighed 91 pounds, was crushed beneath her body weight for several minutes, causing fatal organ and tissue damage.
In January 2025, Wilson was sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended to probation, after being convicted of reckless homicide. Prosecutors condemned Wilson’s actions, highlighting the gross negligence that led to Dakota’s tragic and preventable death.
The case has reignited concerns about the foster care system, particularly regarding the oversight of foster families and the well-being of children in their care.
