A seven-year-old girl, described as “essentially skin and bones,” tragically passed away in Oklahoma after enduring severe neglect and abuse allegedly at the hands of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. The harrowing case has shocked the local community and drawn widespread condemnation.
Violet Mitchell died at St. Anthony’s Medical Center on August 2, just two days after a neighbor, Tera Day, tried to help the severely malnourished child.
“I took her [in] because she was hungry,” Day recounted. She fed Violet chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, and carrots, but the child didn’t disclose much about her situation at home. “She said her parents loved her,” Day recalled tearfully.
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Despite the neighbor’s brief intervention, Violet’s condition deteriorated rapidly. She weighed only 29 pounds, an alarming weight for a seven-year-old, and was wearing a diaper meant for a toddler.
Her autopsy revealed she suffered from “failure to thrive” due to a blockage in her small intestine caused by a plastic baby bottle. She also had visible injuries, including wounds on her shoulder, leg, and cheek, and a pale green discoloration on her stomach.
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The girl’s mother, Lisa Mitchell, and her boyfriend, Anthony Yonko, were arrested on charges of child neglect and aggravated abuse. Shockingly, an affidavit revealed the abuse Violet endured before her death.
According to Violet’s seven-year-old cousin, she was often tied up in a crib with her arms and legs bound by strings and was fed only bread. The cousin also alleged that Mitchell poured hot soup on Violet’s face and arms, beat her with a broomstick, and even glued her mouth shut.
The cousin further revealed that Violet had been left in her crib for up to a month at a time. On occasions when she attempted to help Violet escape, the parents would find them and forcibly return Violet to her crib.
The family’s horrifying silence extended beyond the immediate household. Lisa’s sister, Tiffany, and Anthony’s brother, David, admitted to knowing about the abuse but failed to report it. Both were also arrested and charged.
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Violet’s death was reported by a family member who contacted police shortly after doctors pronounced her dead, they disclosed that Tiffany and David had been overheard saying they knew Violet had died before she was taken to the hospital.
Violet’s parents have since pleaded not guilty, claiming they believed the child was suffering from the flu.
The couple’s remaining children have been placed under the care of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Meanwhile, Lisa Mitchell and Anthony Yonko are being held on a $5 million bond, with Tiffany and David held on bonds of $5 million and $1 million, respectively. Mitchell is scheduled to appear in court on November 27.
This case has left the local community reeling and raises questions about the systems in place to protect vulnerable children. Advocates are calling for stricter measures to ensure that signs of abuse and neglect are identified and addressed before tragedies like Violet’s death occur.
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