A 10-year-old boy’s life was tragically cut short after his 340-pound foster mother used a deadly disciplinary method. The horrific case of Dakota Levi Stevens reveals deep flaws in Indiana’s foster care system as the state faces mounting criticism over children’s safety in government custody.
At a glance:
• Dakota Levi Stevens, 10, died from mechanical asphyxia after his foster mother Jennifer Lee Wilson, who weighed 340 pounds, sat on him as punishment for “acting bad”
• Wilson was sentenced to six years in prison with one year suspended for probation after being charged with reckless homicide
• Dakota had been in foster care for years and was recently placed in Wilson’s home after the Department of Child Services moved him from a previous foster family who wanted to adopt him
• Family members had repeatedly tried to gain custody of Dakota but were deemed unqualified by DCS
• His death has sparked a social media campaign #JusticeforDakota and renewed scrutiny of Indiana’s Department of Child Services
Fatal Discipline Leads to Boy’s Death
Dakota Levi Stevens died on April 25 last year in Valparaiso, Indiana after his foster mother Jennifer Lee Wilson, weighing 340 pounds, sat on the 10-year-old boy for several minutes. Police were called to the home when Dakota was found not breathing and without a pulse.
An autopsy determined Dakota’s cause of death was mechanical asphyxia and ruled it a homicide. The boy suffered devastating injuries including organ and soft tissue damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging, according to medical reports.
Wilson later told investigators she sat on Dakota because he was “acting bad” and tried to leave the house. According to police reports, she claimed that “when she attempted to stop him from leaving, she does not know if she tackled Dakota or they fell to the ground; however, her intention was to hold him.”
— 17th Special Civilians Operations Group (@17thSCOG) March 7, 2025
Failed System Repeatedly Put Child At Risk
Dakota’s death has uncovered a pattern of failures within Indiana’s child welfare system. Former foster family members Sabrina and Hayden Hetzel had attempted to adopt Dakota, describing him as intelligent, funny, and adventurous, but the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) moved him to a facility for children with behavioral issues instead.
Both Dakota’s biological family and former foster families had repeatedly tried to gain custody of the boy over the years. Their attempts were consistently rejected by DCS, which deemed them unqualified despite their ongoing concerns about his care.
The tragedy has added fuel to an existing class action lawsuit that accuses DCS of failing to keep foster children safe. DCS’s latest annual child fatality report noted 61 child deaths from abuse and neglect in 2022, with 62% of these cases having prior allegations of abuse or neglect.
Growing Calls For Reform And Accountability
Indiana State Representative Victoria Garcia Wilburn has called for a full investigation into the deaths of Dakota and another child, 5-year-old Kinsleigh Welty. Rep. Wilburn urged DCS to review its protocols and prioritize child safety within the system.
Critics like Richard Wexler of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform point to systemic problems in how child welfare agencies operate. Wexler criticized the system for involving too many children for non-abuse-related issues while failing to protect those truly at risk.
A social media campaign, #JusticeforDakota, has emerged as community members express outrage over the preventable death. Dakota was remembered as a bright child who loved music and dancing, and was particularly close to his younger sister before being separated by the system meant to protect him.
