REFORM Talk’s Forgotten Angels 2022

In 2022, we honor US adopted children that are missing; missing and presumed dead; and/or related to the out-of-original family placements and surrogacy industry that are otherwise forgotten since December 2021 and years earlier that we have discovered.

This post includes all child deaths and children missing from US foster care or adoptions and adult adoptee or foster care deaths as well as those otherwise forgotten that we could find.

Still Missing

The 400 children presumably disrupted from Russia. See here.

Still Missing and Presumed Dead

Kaya Centeno. See here. From Rohnert Park, California, this 2010 case of adoptee Kaya, 8, “went missing” 10 years ago. Her adoptive parents were arrested for abuse and sexual abuse of her siblings.In 2011, it was brought to light that two adoptees from the same family were missing: Austin and Edward Dylan Bryant. See the case  here.

A child nicknamed Moo, foster child of Judith Leekin . See the case here.

Rilya Wilson, 4, went missing in December 2000. In 2011, her foster mother was ordered to trial. It was delayed until end of 2012. Geralyn Graham was sentenced to 55 years in 2013 though they haven’t found Rilya’s body. See  here.

Jhessye Shockley. See here. Jhessye’s mother, Jerice Hunter, had been convicted of child abuse and served 4 years in a California prison. After being released in 2010,  Arizona CPS allowed Jerice to take custody of Jhessye from Shirley. On a day in October 2011 when Shirley Johnson was in Maricopa County Superior Court for a custody hearing, Jerice reported Jhessye  as missing. Jhessye’s body has never been found.The case is NOT closed. See this article from October 2021 here.

Hasanni Campbell. See here. From Fremont, California, disabled foster child Hasanni Campbell, who was five when he disappeared on  August 10, 2009. His foster mother was his aunt.His foster father, Louis Ross, told police he parked in a Rockridge neighborhood, taking his daughter into a shoe store while leaving Hasanni, who wore leg braces due to cerebral palsy, inside the car. When he returned, Hasanni was gone.

Medically-Related

Michael Johnson. This October 29, 2021 case involves Romanian adoptee, Michael, 33, who died due to Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Caleb Swanigan. This June 21, 2022 case involves domestic adoptee, Caleb, 25, who died from natural causes.

Bella Phillips. This July 2021 case involves Bella, 8 months old, who died from RSV infection.

Mekbul Timmer. This March 6, 2022 case involves Ethiopian adoptee Mekbul, 18. His parents didn’t say how he died.

Adult Foster Child Deaths

T’revonsay Sales. See here. From Phoenix, Arizona, this September 4, 2022 case involves T’revonsay, 18, who died from a gunshot wound. A 17-year-old had been arrested in connection to the shooting for suspicion of aggravated assault and related weapon charges. He was booked into Maricopa County Juvenile court.

International Adult Adoptees

Maddie Hoffman. See here. This May 19, 2022 case involves Maddie, who was killed by Pennsylvania Police. She suffered from a mental health crisis.

Connor Yoseph Green. See here. This case involves Connor,19,who was killed by gunfire in his car. No arrests have been made.

Child Deaths-International Adoption

Adam Snyder. See here. From Springfield Township, Ohio, this October 5, 2016 case involves Adam,8, who died from “blunt-force trauma to the head.” The adoptive parents, John and Katherine Snyder “were indicted on four counts of aggravated murder, four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and 14 counts of endangering children, according to the court records.They are awaiting trial.

Child Deaths-Adoption

Arabella McCormack. See here. From Spring Valley, California, this August 30, 2022 case involves Arabella, 11, who died due to “severe levels of malnourishment” and bruising. Her father killed himself in the presence of police and her mother, Leticia,49, and her grandparents Stanley and Adella Tom were arrested. They will be in court in January 2023 for a preliminary hearing.

Lucas Birchim. See here. From Gastonia, North Carolina, this April 13, 2022 case involves newly adopted Lucas, a newborn, who died after a cardiac arrest after suffering “a fractured skull, broken rib, and other injuries” by child abuse from his adoptive father, Van Erick Custodio, 42. Van Erick was arrested charged with first degree murder and felony child abuse.

Najir W. Diehl. See here. From East Fairfield Township, Pennsylvania, this September 5, 2021 case involves Najir, who had special needs. His adoptive mother, Mary, gave him a “half-full cup of windshield wiper fluid to drink because she wanted to “free him.””Methanol toxicity was the cause of death. Mary is charged with homicide and remains in the Crawford County Correctional Facility without bond until her trial whose date remains uncertain.

Meelah Miller. See here. From Airway Heights, Washington, this September 10, 2022 case involves Meelah, 8, who died. Her mother (who is also her aunt) and her mother’s boyfriend were charged with “second-degree murder and one count of failure to notify law enforcement of the death of a child.” They await trial.

Child Deaths-Group-Respite Home/RTC/Hospital/Juvenile Justice Facility/CPS office/Guardian

Joshua Rukovishnikoff. See here.From St. Paul Island, Alaska, this December 12, 2021 case involves Joshua, 2, died from five separate head injuries. He had suspicious bruises on his genitals. No arrests have been made.

Leviticus Kuchta. See here. From Merrillville, Indiana, this October 12, 2020 case involves Leviticus, 10, who was in respite care with his sister and spouse. Levitivus died after receiving “puncture wounds on his face, was riddled with injuries in various degrees of infection and healing to his head, hands, arm, back, groin, leg and ankles, records said.

Two of the injuries – a dislocated jaw and spine – rendered him unable to walk or talk before his death.”

April Lynn Kuchta Wright and Rachel Rose Wright, both 26,”were each charged with one count of murder, Level 1 aggravated battery, Level 1 neglect of a dependent resulting in death and battery of a person less than 14 years old, a Level 6 felony.”

Syeisha Nicolas.See here. From Fitchburg, Massachusetts, this September 2, 2022 case involves Syeisha, 12, who died via a seizure. The Worcester District Attorney’s Office are investigating this further.

Ivy House. See here. From Kansas City, Missouri, this November 3, 2022 case involves Ivy House, 4, who died from malnutrition and dehydration. The guardian, Adair R.Fish, “faces abuses or neglect of a child resulting in death, abuse or neglect of a child, and two endangering the welfare of a child first-degree charges.” She is awaiting trial.

Child Deaths-US Foster Care and Receiving Homes

Ace Scott. See here.From Topeka, Kansas, this April 11, 2022 case involves Ace, 15, who “was found dead “in an empty lot after running away.”

Hope Jones. See here. From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this July 12, 2022 case involves, Hope, 3, who died due to blunt force trauma.” No one has been arrested.

Shawna Rogers. From Alvarado , Texas, this October 2021 case involves Shawna, 17, who died via a car accident.

Isaiah Joel. See here . From Las Vegas, Nevada, this October 2021 case involves Isaiah, 2 1/2 months old, who died after an “incident in the master bedroom of a foster family assigned to care for him.” No one has been arrested.

Logan Dollison. See here. From Athens, Ohio, this January 7, 2022 case involves Logan, 2 weeks, 5 days old, who died. No arrests have been made.

13-year-old foster child. See here. From Parsons, Kansas, this October 27, 2022 case involves the foster boy who “died after running away, stealing a car and crashing.”

Quentrell Whitsell. See here. This March 19, 2020 case involves Quentrell, 4 months, who died in a “baby swing at a Toledo daycare center.”A lawsuit has been filed.

Jayden Alexis Frisbee. See here. From Jacksonville, Florida this January 11, 2022 case involves Jayden who died “in the bathroom of a Jacksonville Studio 6 motel.”

Adarion Curry. See here.From Montgomery County, Alabama, this 2013 case involves Adarion, 9, who died “from his foster parent and social worker’s reckless mismanagement of his medical needs.”

“The child suffered from sickle cell anemia, but his condition was managed by medication and close monitoring, and limitation of physical activity.

The day he was placed in DHR custody, Curry’s prescription medications and medical information were provided to Kelley and/or Van Gilder, according to the complaint. The defendants did not provide the level of care needed for his disease, the plaintiffs argued.

Turnbull said Curry should have been deemed “medically fragile” based on DHR’s guidelines, but that never happened.

A few days before Curry’s death in late May, Van Gilder dropped him off with a “substitute foster mom,” Turnbull said, where his medical needs were not adequately attended to and he started to feel sick.

A few days later, when Van Gilder picked up Curry from the substitute foster parent, he was having difficulty breathing. Van Gilder took him to Baptist South Medical Center in Montgomery, where he was diagnosed with acute chest syndrome, a complication of sickle cell anemia.”

His family was awarded $15 million from Montgomery County.

Shalize Carter Clarke. See here. From New York, New York, this March 7, 2022 case involves Shalize, 3, who died from ““acute amphetamine intoxication.”due to her foster parents drug use. The NYPD is seeking more information in this case.

16-Month-Old child. See here. This September 26, 2022 case involves a 16-month-old child who died “of injuries consistent with physical abuse.” His foster father Arturo Vitela was arrested and charged with “one count of murder and one count of assault on a child under 8 resulting in great bodily injury.” He awaits trial.

Alana Tate.See here. This November 8, 2022 case involves Alana, 2, who died from “Peritonitis Complicating Misplacement of Percutaneous Gastric Tube for Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.” Her biological family is speaking with lawyers to sue SBH Health System.

 

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