Roger Eugene Benson - 2011

Roger Eugene Benson was given 15 years in this life. He was a poor boy that went into the foster system ending up as the ball in a pinball machine living numerous places before he couldn't take it anymore. This death became more noticed by the society than his entire life because he disturbed the rush hour traffic when he jumped off a bridge to kill himself.

People became angered because they were delayed while the authorities cleaned the road for his remains but they really should be angry at the way the foster system is put together. The system is not free of charge for the taxpayers, it does cost a lot of money and it was established to be there for the minors who are supposed to be neglected by their families. It was supposed to give boys like young Mr. Benson a second life, not inflict emotional torment to a point that the minors who are placed in the system choose not to live anymore.

The system failed young Mr. Benson. May he find peace where he is now.



Sources:

• How Could You? Hall of Shame-Roger Eugene Benson case-child death (Rally Ethics for Orphans & At-risk Minors)
• The life and death of a teenager in state care (My Northwest)
• Victims 2010 - (Fornits Wiki)

Anthony Parker - 2011

Just days after Christmas 2011 two boys at the One Way Farm in Fairfield, Ohio got into a fight.

16 year old Anthony Parker was bodyslammed into the ground. He got up and seemed unhurt but was not checked the local hospital. It turned fatal when he died from a hidden injury later.

Due to lack of check proving to some counties that the employees didn't supervise the children problemer, they pull their children from the facility.

The other teenager involved in the fight got a short prison sentence.

The entire ordeal and tragedy could have been avoided if the employees had taken him to the hospital right away. His death came too soon.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• One Way Farm fight over flashlight leaves teenager on life support (WCPO)
• Victims (Fornits Wiki)

Robert Zimmerman - 1980

Together with 6 other teenagers and some staff members from Visionquest, Robert Zimmerman died in the Gulf of California, when the boat he was sent on went down with all hands lost.

Safety at sea demands a lot from the staff on the boat. What went wrong has never been fully revealed.

For the family of Robert Zimmerman the downing in the Gulf of California was a tragedy they had to share with 6 other families. Hopefully this tragedy will never be repeated.

May he rest in peace.

References:
Victims - 1980's (Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora Wiki)
Teen's sailing tour ends in storm disaster, Star-News - 28 Nov 1980
Un menor es abandonado en un islote en Fuerteventura como castigo por portarse mal, diario direct, May 22 - 2008 (In Spanish)

Michael Keith Owens - 2010

16 year old Michael was restrained by the employees at Daystar Residential, Inc. in Texas. It was a common procedure. He died during the process. A death was also a common incident at exactly this facility because the facility had seen the deaths of Dawn Perry, Stephanie Duffield and LaTasha Bush had lost their lives at the facility years before.

But unlike the previous death he death made the difference for the authorities. They intervened and closed the facility down.

Why it should take that long and end the lives of 4 teenagers is difficult to understand but at least a fifth family was spared of the tragedy of losing their beloved child.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• Teen's death puts Daystar facility under scrutiny — again (Houston Chronicle)
• Victims (Fornits Wiki)

Alexis Evette Richie - 2009

Alexis Evette Richie was allowed only 16 years in this life.

She had been sent to the SSM DePaul Health Center which unknown to her was a troubled place even before she got there.

The treatment center had a long story where numerous investigations had been conducted into the lack of safety of the patients.

Investigations which did not help her when she needed it. She was restrained and medicated but the employees failed to check on her when they left her.

It is sad that the state didn't intervene more strongly before. Maybe her life would have been spared.

We hope that she has found rest in the afterlife.

Sources:

• Girl, 16, dies during restraint at an already-troubled hospital (Sankt Louis Post Dispatch)
• Nurse cited in DePaul death had been fired at another hospital (Sankt Louis Post Dispatch)
• SSM DePaul Health Center (Fornits Wiki)
• Victims 2005-9 (Fornits Wiki)