How Could You? Hall of Shame-Byron Clark case-Child Death

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Buffalo, New York, 6-year-old foster son Byron York died in 2019.

“Jermaine J. St. John is accused of killing Byron Clark at a foster home on Newburgh Avenue in Buffalo. St. John was charged with first-degree manslaughter.

“The autopsy in that case took a rather long time to get done for medical reasons,” Flynn said. “I don’t want to go into too much detail because this is all stuff that’s going to come out in the course of trial…There were numerous issues with the autopsy as far as determining exactly what happened here for medical reasons. Therefore, it took a real long while for the autopsy to get done.”

Clark ultimately died of blunt force trauma to multiple parts of his body.

It took nearly two years for charges to be filed against St. John, who was the caretaker and foster father of Clark.

Clark lived a difficult life, which involved abuse by his biological parents. He was taken away from his parents and given to a different foster family. However, he left that family for reasons that aren’t entirely clear.

“He was put in a group home for foster kids,” Flynn said. “Jermaine St. John worked in that group home and Mr. St. John apparently got along well with this child. They hit it off at the group home and, at some point, Mr. St. John agreed to take this child into his own home, and he did here in the City of Buffalo.”

The district attorney said it was unusual for St. John to take in the child because St. John was unmarried, had no kids, and only had a sister who helped care for the child.

“He was the primary caregiver,” Flynn said. “He continued to work at the group home and worked overnights. While he worked overnights, the sister would care for the child in the evening. He apparently took the child in in November (2018), two months before this alleged incident occurred.”

Flynn said Clark was beloved by the teachers and staff at Buffalo Public School 45.

“The death of this child is not going to go unnoticed,” Flynn said.”

Foster parent indicted in killing of 6-year-old in Buffalo

[WBEN 9/28/2020]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “A Buffalo man is facing manslaughter charges for allegedly causing the death of a child under his care in 2019.

The Erie County District Attorney’s Office says 29-year-old Jermaine J. St. John of Buffalo was arraigned Thursday on one count of manslaughter in the first degree and one count of manslaughter in the second degree.

On January 1, 2019 it is alleged St. John “recklessly engaged in conduct that caused serious physical injuries to a child under his care” at a home on Newburgh Avenue. The child, 6-year-old Byron Clark, was unresponsive when taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital and later died. The district attorney’s office says the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.

St. John is scheduled to return to court June 3, he remains released on $50,000 bail previously posted in Buffalo City Court.”

Foster parent facing manslaughter charges for allegedly causing death of a child
[WKBW 4/16/21 by Anthony Reyes]