Stephanie Duffield - 2001

16-year-old Stephanie Duffield died at Shiloh Residential Treatment Center in 2001. First it was ruled as an accident, but later when the number of children who died in the Daystar operated facilities started to pile up, investigation was reopened.

Many children like Stephanie Duffield died when adult employees tried to restrain them. The employees were not trained and the facilities had no motivation to train them as training cost money and it would reduce profit.

It is hard to conclude, what killed Stephanie Duffield was not so much what the employees did but also that the management saw profit as more important than the welfare and safety of the children.

While the investigation was re-opened, we have not seen whether it meant that she got the justice she deserved.

Her family lost her forever and she was not allowed to reach adulthood.

May she find peace where she is now.

Sources:

• Daystar Residential, Inc. & Shiloh Treatment Center v. Mark W. Collmer--Appeal from 270th District Court of Harris County (Justia)
• Closure of center for troubled kids follows years of woes (Houston Chronicle)