Caitlin Lee - 2011

15 year old Caitlin Lee was found dead on some railtracks. The official documents speak of suicide. Whether it was suicide or just a freak accident during one of her 17 escape attempts we cannot know because we weren't there.

What we do know is that she according to her family was doing very well at another facility before she was transferred to ChildServ. Placing a teenager in the care of the public system is often a question of money. Was the reason for her placement at ChildServ. a question of saving money?

Most likely. Of course the officials will deny it but in this case the cost-saving operation resulted in her death.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• Girl’s Suicide Raises Question About Home For Troubled Youth (CBS Chicago)
• GIRL KILLED WAS AN ‘AT-RISK’ TEEN (DCFS HELP)
• Victims 2010- (Fornits Wiki)

Thomas Varnadoe - 1934

Thomas Varnadoe was convicted of trespassing and as result of this he was sent to Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. The death certificate says pneumonia, but sadly the death certificates issued in Florida connected to the juvenile prison system have seen to have been falsified so we cannot be sure of how he died.

Trespassing is not supposed to carry a death sentence. However it was what this conviction resulted in for this boy who was 13 years old at the time.

It was sad and a tragedy for his family.

May he find peace where he is now.


Source:
Remains of 2 more boys identified at shuttered Florida reformatory (CNN)

Earl Wilson - 1944

Earl Wilson, who was 12 years old in 1944 was suspected to have been killed by other boys. He was buried in an unmarked grave at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida together with many other boys, who is yet to be identified. We would have like to post this entry on the date of his date, but sadly none cared to put even his death down on record.

It is always a tragedy when such a young life is cut short. As the facility functioned as a prison, he must have been convicted of some crime. But surely not a crime which should have resulted in a death sentence. A death sentence was however what he got when he was sent to this poorly regulated facility where none seemed to have been hired to counsel these boys back to a normal productive life. The focus was punishment and revenge on the behalf of the society.

It is very sad for this family. We can only hope that he has found peace where he is now.



Source:
Researchers Identify Two Sets of Boys Remains at Notorious Dozier School (NBC News)

Eduardo Facha García - 1954

Not much is known about this maybe 10 year old boy who died at Linton Hall Military School. It is not known whether he was 9 or had reached his 10 years birthday. Not even the specific day of both his birth and death is known. His gravestone is in good condition. Maybe his family who happened to live far away from the school might have seen it.

The military boarding school was discontinued in 1980's. Today it is a dayschool.

It is unfortunately and a tragedy when such a young life is cut short.

May he find peace where he is now.

Que Dios te bendiga, Eduardo. Descansa en paz. as it is stated in a blog entry covering the school's history.

Source:
The boy who died at Linton Hall Military School: Eduardo Facha García, 1944-1954 (Linton Hall Military School alumni memories)