15-year-old Del’Quan Seagers died while placed at the AMIkids Sand Hills. The circumstances remain a mystery and the management did little to help out in this matter.
In fact at the time of his death investigation was ongoing about possible cover-up of violent events conducted at this facility. There also seems to have been gang related rituals involving punching. The facility claimed that it was an asthma which caused his death but there seems to be more to it.
For his family who not only lost this young man but also his father, it was a tragedy. We can only hope that the circumstances surrounding his death one day will be fully explained but the state does not seem to care.
May he find peace where he is now.
Sources:
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Friday, November 2, 2018
Chris Campbell - 1997
13-year-old Chris Campbell was put in an isolation cell. For reasons unknown the employees decided to enter the cell and restrain him which led to his tragic death. It is unclear what forces adults to place an only 13-year-old child in an isolation cell.
It is unclear why the employees then wanted to restrain him on the top of that. He was not alone in the isolation cells. Articles speak of children having spent 280 days in an isolation cell. Surely they do not expect children to return to society unharmed and in a normal condition after such an ordeal.
It was only 20 years ago they did that. Hopefully they have changed procedures since.
It is a tragic and unnecessary death. May he find peace where he is now.
Sources:
It is unclear why the employees then wanted to restrain him on the top of that. He was not alone in the isolation cells. Articles speak of children having spent 280 days in an isolation cell. Surely they do not expect children to return to society unharmed and in a normal condition after such an ordeal.
It was only 20 years ago they did that. Hopefully they have changed procedures since.
It is a tragic and unnecessary death. May he find peace where he is now.
Sources:
- Lawsuit: Youth spent 280 days in isolation at Iowa Juvenile Home (The Desmoines Register)
- IJH is in need of a major overhaul (The Gazette)
- juvenile home (Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism)
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Unknown - 2013
This tragic event took place at the new campus controlled by Diamond Ranch Academy. The unnamed boy (Some sorces state Jake Spencer - others Matthew Loebach) moved into Diamond Ranch Academy in June, 2013. September 8, 2013 the school was busy with a football game. The boy managed to sneak into the showers.
He was discovered by an employee who were in the process of showing parents how good the school are. When the boy was discovered the employee closed the door into the showers in a hurry so the parents who were potential customers did not see anything. He quietly alerted other employees but it was too late.
The school received criticism for setting up the bathroom so hanging was a possibility.
The parents later sued the school because the school had promised 24/7 supervision.
It is sad that such a yong life was cut short. This is what could happen when promises by treatment facilities are not met.
May he find peace where he is now.
Sources:
He was discovered by an employee who were in the process of showing parents how good the school are. When the boy was discovered the employee closed the door into the showers in a hurry so the parents who were potential customers did not see anything. He quietly alerted other employees but it was too late.
The school received criticism for setting up the bathroom so hanging was a possibility.
The parents later sued the school because the school had promised 24/7 supervision.
It is sad that such a yong life was cut short. This is what could happen when promises by treatment facilities are not met.
May he find peace where he is now.
Sources:
- Sadly, yet another child death at Diamond Ranch Academy in Hurricane, Utah (Reddit)
- DIAMOND RANCH ACADEMY: GRIEVING PARENTS FILE NEGLIGENCE LAWSUIT, Jillie's Take!
- Forty-nine States Slowly Realize Utah Is Not Safe Place for Children (MartyG Reports)
- The Troubled Teen Industry: The Politics of Abuse Within Therapeutic Boarding Schools (Medium)
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Rochelle Clayborne - 1997
16-year-old Rochelle Clayborne died after being restrained at t Laurel Ridge Hospital. It is not clear whether the employees back then was informed about how to restrain a patient or they were trained at all.
The cause of death was blamed on an existing heart condition. It was before the boot camp case from Florida, which did show that the coroners office sometime take liberties regarding cause of death when it comes to protect staff at facilities from law suits.
It is not clear what beside the restraint itself caused her death.
It was a tragedy which could have been prevented. May she find rest and peace where she is now.
Sources:
The cause of death was blamed on an existing heart condition. It was before the boot camp case from Florida, which did show that the coroners office sometime take liberties regarding cause of death when it comes to protect staff at facilities from law suits.
It is not clear what beside the restraint itself caused her death.
It was a tragedy which could have been prevented. May she find rest and peace where she is now.
Sources:
- 29 kids in 2 1/2 years died in state's care-- 2 stopped breathing while restrained recently (Dallas Morning News - copy from Project Nospank)
- Police, state investigate after death of psychiatric patient (The Associated Press - Amarillo Globe News)
Friday, August 10, 2018
Valerie Ann Heron - 2001
The death of 17-year-old Valerie Ann Heron is published on this blog because we do have no knowledge about a blog where we can list the names of children died at boarding school or in residential care in Jamaica. Valerie Ann Heron was an American citizen who found herself at Tranquility Bay in the western part of Jamaica. Here without special supervision from the local authorities who only seemed concerned about the possibility of jobs for locals regardless of they were qualified or job as long as they could fight, an Utah based organization known at that time as World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools had established what was something between a boarding school, a treatment center and a boot camp.
It was a place good for nothing serving only the purpose of easy money for the owners who let low-paid unqualified employees handle teenagers who for many of them needed proper treatment for mental illnesses like depression.
Valerie Ann Heron died on her second day after her arrival. She either fell or was pushed from the second store. A coded letter which could have been a suicide note was destroyed by the employees. Perhaps there was an explanation for her act if it was a suicide. The investigation conducted by the authorities seems to a single report only. No interviews with the entire student population was conducted. No re-construction of the event in order to determine if it really was a suicide. Nothing. Some of her belongings were given to new students after her death so they could save money.
The facility closed year later after the Jewish society in New York saved one of their teenager in a very public rescue attempt and stricter passport regulation put an end to the massive number of teenagers being sent there. Today the facility is empty and perhaps even haunted. Maybe it is the spirit of poor Valerie Ann Heron who was only allowed 17 years in this world before the cruel act of sending her to Jamaica brought an end to her life.
May she find peace where she is now.
Sources:
It was a place good for nothing serving only the purpose of easy money for the owners who let low-paid unqualified employees handle teenagers who for many of them needed proper treatment for mental illnesses like depression.
Valerie Ann Heron died on her second day after her arrival. She either fell or was pushed from the second store. A coded letter which could have been a suicide note was destroyed by the employees. Perhaps there was an explanation for her act if it was a suicide. The investigation conducted by the authorities seems to a single report only. No interviews with the entire student population was conducted. No re-construction of the event in order to determine if it really was a suicide. Nothing. Some of her belongings were given to new students after her death so they could save money.
The facility closed year later after the Jewish society in New York saved one of their teenager in a very public rescue attempt and stricter passport regulation put an end to the massive number of teenagers being sent there. Today the facility is empty and perhaps even haunted. Maybe it is the spirit of poor Valerie Ann Heron who was only allowed 17 years in this world before the cruel act of sending her to Jamaica brought an end to her life.
May she find peace where she is now.
Sources:
- ANT YOUR KID TO DISAPPEAR? (Legal Affairs)
- Rough Love1 (Miami New Times)
- Teen drug rehabs in Utah -without LDS focus? (Recovery from Mormonism (RfM) discussion forum.)
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