Some stories leave a lasting impact. This is one of them. A young boy, just ten years old, lost his life in circumstances that are difficult to understand.

Dakota Levi Stevens had only been living in his foster home for a month when this happened. His foster mother, 48-year-old Jennifer Lee Wilson, has been charged with reckless homicide in Berrien County, Michigan. The details of this case are troubling, and some parts may be difficult to read.

Earlier that day, Dakota had left the house and was later found at a neighbor’s home. After returning, he showed signs of frustration — dropping to the ground and acting out.

What happened next is hard to comprehend.

Wilson reacted by sitting on him.

And not briefly. Reports say she placed her full weight — about 340 pounds (over 150 kg) — on Dakota, who weighed only 90 pounds. She stayed like that for nearly five minutes.

She did this while on the phone with Dakota’s caseworker. Dakota cried out, but Wilson believed he was pretending. She even asked him if he was “faking.”

When she finally moved, she noticed something worrying — Dakota’s eyelids had become pale.

A child in the house quickly called emergency services. Sadly, it was already too late. Dakota was taken to the hospital and placed on life support, but he passed away two days later, on April 25, 2024.

The medical report confirmed severe internal injuries — damage to his organs, soft tissues, and bleeding in the liver and lungs. His death was caused by mechanical asphyxia, meaning he was fatally crushed.

More details have emerged since. Just half an hour before paramedics arrived, Dakota had gone to a neighbor, asking if she could adopt him.

Wilson later told police she wasn’t sure if she had tackled Dakota or if they had fallen together but claimed she only wanted to hold him down.

Wilson pleaded guilty in October and was sentenced in January 2025 to six years in prison, with one year suspended.

Dakota was remembered as a boy who loved the outdoors and had his own way of doing things.

His story is a reminder that children in care deserve safety and support.