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)

Grace Christine James - 2010

Grace James was only 17 year of age when she was thrown out of a car in Utah. She had been committed to the Sunrise Residential Treatment Center and came from Arlington in Massachusetts.

Two cars from the facility was on an outing. The drivers tried to communicate with each other instead of putting their attention to the poor conditions of the road. As result of their actions one of the cars crashed killing a 17 year old student from the United Kingdom who had survived the swine flu.

Grace James was not killed at the crash. She survived some days at the hospital but despite hopes of recovery she didn't make it making it a tragedy beyond imagination. A scholarship named The Write With Grace Scholarship was made in her honor at Arlington High School which she attend before her tragic journey to Utah.


May she rest in peace.

Sources:

• Troubled teen killed in I-70 rollover (Mid Utah Radio)
• Forty-nine States Slowly Realize Utah Is Not Safe Place for Children (MartyG Reports)

Christopher Ladell Hill - 2006

17 year old Chris Hill had certainly seen more in life than most children. All too much.

Various family members did their outmost to help him and his sibling when his mother passed away when he was only 4 years old. When his family gave up due to the economy, the State of Texas placed him in foster care. As life is for a child in foster care in almost every country it is constant movement between group homes and foster families. As some point he ended up at Azleway. The ranch markets itself with:

• A rural setting
• An on-campus school
• Structured homework time
• Family style outings
• Structured therapeutic recreation
• Boys Scout Troop
• Basketball goals
• Tennis courts
• Covered pavilion
• Recreation Center
• Athletic fields
• Sunday morning worship
• Wednesday evening chapel

It certainly sounds nice, but for the boy and one of his friends the distance and isolation from their family and friends - their entire social network became too much.

They were killed when they were hit by a train. Was it a suicide or an escape attempt going wrong?

We cannot know. An article in Houston Chronicle states that it was suicide but none was there when it did happen, so can we be sure?

What we do know are that it was a tragedy for their family and a reminder to us to do everything possible to avoid residential care.

May they rest in peace.

Sources:

• Victims 2005-9 (Fornits Wiki)
• Desperate boys likely chose death on train tracks (Houston Chronicle)
• Chief Of Police Talked To Azleway Runaways Killed By Train (KLTV 7)

Gina Score - 1999

Gina Score committed minor crimes. She stole food and had a weight problem. Here in 2013 we are so enlightened that we know that she should have got some counseling. Maybe an in-patient treatment program would be the best but still counseling because it was not the actions of an evil criminal mastermind.

It was a girl basically reaching out for help.

But in 1999 the governor of South Dakota was William John "Bill" Janklow. He had his mind set to be tough on crime among youth hoping to scare them straight.

Gina Score was sent to the State Training School in Plankinton. It was a boot camp where the teenagers were forced to run in a very hot weather every day. July 21st, 1999 - only five days after she had arrived, Gina Score collapsed during the run. They believed that she was faking her situation, but it was for real.

She died there. Basically she was murdered there.

The boot camp shut down when everyone realized that the path promoted by the governor was no real answer to juvenile crime.

But it was too late for Gina Score.

She was only allowed 14 years on this planet.

May she find peace where she is now.


Sources:

• Former Plankinton Inmate Looks Back At Death (KELOLAND TV)
• Barnett on Gina Score: 'We killed her' (Madison Daily Leader)

Levi Snyder - 2010

For 17 year old Levi Snyder june 12, 2010 was the last day of his short life.

He was found dead at New Hope Carolinas treatment center.

He had complained about chest congestion and had been at the Hospital just days before.

An investigation was started but no official reason for his untimely tragic death was ever made public.

The treatment center has a long history of police being called to the facility and a number of indicents involving criminal sexual conduct, assault and battery, and missing persons.

17 year is too early to die.

May he rest in peace.

Sources:

• Teenager found dead at Rock Hill psychiatric center (NUNYA)
• Victim list (Fornits Wiki)