Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie - 2000

The life of 12 year old Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie was cut short when a counselor weighing more than 300 pounds sat down on him to calm him down. The poor boy suffocated dying a death so horrible that it is almost impossible to imaging.

The counselor who crushed the boy to death was not charged because the state of Florida at that time allowed this kind of dangerous restraint.

For the mother the loss of one of her sons destroyed her life. Tragedy followed when newspapers reported that she had ended the lives of both herself and another son.

Michael Ibarra-Wiltsie was not supposed to go to this camp but because someone in the system made a terrible error he ended up in this wilderness program which clearly was not suited to meet his needs. Furthermore the medication which aided him to control outburst as result of his illness was taken from him not because he had improved his condition but simply because it was the policy of the camp not to medicate boys like him.

He was failed on so many levels during life that it is hard to find a way to describe it. It sounds almost as the easy way out for the system was to kill him before he cost the society more money.

It was a triple tragedy.

May he find peace where he is now.



Sources:

• Remembering Michael Wiltsie (Teen Advocate USA)
• Mom 'never the same' after child's death (Ocala Star Banner)
• Victims 2000 - 2004 (Fornits Wiki)