Joshua Ferrarini - 1989

When an untrained employee at St. Aemelian Hospital tried to intervene against the only 13 year old boy the boy died.

The employee had a reputation of using "power" to discipline the children and he had been suspended before. Regardless of that he was allowed to restrain Joshua Ferrarini alone and declined help from a co-worker.

As it was custom in the 1980s there was no prosecution against the employee and the Hospital only received minor discpline actions.

So it took som decades more before things started to improve. Improper use of restraints continued to be a major factor when it came to claim the lives of children in residential care.

Cases like the one with Joshua Ferrari could have ended without his death. Unfortunately the political willpower wasn't existing and it claimed his life in the end.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• Center Cited In Death Of 13-year-old‎ (Katherine M. Skiba, The Milwaukee Journal - June 28, 1989)
• Victims - 1980s (Fornits Wiki)

Wauketta Wallace - 1989

12 year old Wauketta Wallace was labeled as a troubled youth. His death was result of a failed restraint.

There was a probe into this tragedy but his death was ruled as accidential.

It would take additional deaths before a pattern emerged showing that face-down restraints were deadly. Hopefully it was a lesson learned for the staff at Maryville Academy which continues to be in operation today.

Sources:
Victims in 1980s, Fornits Wiki database
Death of boy, 12, in youth home ruled accidental, Chicago Sun-Times - August 12, 1989 (Pay-per-view article)

Roxanna Gray - 1989

In the days before research with live guinea-pig proved that facedown restraints were deadly, 17 year old Roxanna Gray lost her life during these trials.

Unlike many cases from that period this tragedy was investigated and a staff member was sentenced to a 4 year prison term. It was later suspended to a one year period of probation.

Sources:
Victims in 1980s, Fornits Wiki datasheet
Probation for death, The Rochester Sentinel - April 4, 1990

Danny Lewis - 1989

16 year old Danny Lewis died during an outing while supervised by VisionQuest.

The place the counselors did choose for a bath became deadly for Danny Lewis when he became tangled in moss and drowned.

Sources:
Victims in 1980s,
Californian, Utahn drown, The Rochester Sentinel - April 4, 1990