Foster Mother Sentenced After 10-Year-Old Boy's Death from Mechanical Asphyxia

Jennifer Lee Wilson, weighing 340 pounds, sat on Dakota Stevens for five minutes, leading to fatal injuries; she received a six-year prison sentence.

Dakota Stevens, a 10-year-old boy in Indiana, died in April 2024 after his foster mother, Jennifer Lee Wilson, sat on him for five minutes as punishment for misbehavior.
Wilson, who weighed 340 pounds, reportedly pinned Dakota, who weighed 91 pounds, while calling his caseworker; his screams faded before he stopped moving.
An autopsy revealed the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia, with catastrophic injuries including organ damage, liver and lung hemorrhaging, and soft tissue trauma.
Ring camera footage captured the incident, showing Wilson sitting on Dakota's head and neck area before realizing he was unresponsive and calling 911.
Wilson was sentenced in January 2025 to six years in prison, with one year suspended for probation, and her foster parent license is under review for permanent revocation.