An Indiana woman, aged 49, has been sentenced to a six-year term in a state correctional facility for the reckless homicide of her 10-year-old foster son. Jennifer Lee Wilson was handed the maximum sentence by Senior Judge Michael Bergerson, who also suspended one year of the sentence, allowing Wilson to serve the final year on probation.
The tragic incident unfolded when the young boy, Dakota Stevens, sought help from a neighbor, alleging abuse. Wilson later pleaded guilty to one count of reckless homicide in connection with Dakota’s death. The incident occurred in April 2024, when the Porter County Sheriff’s Office responded to a distress call about an unresponsive 10-year-old boy at a residence in Valparaiso, approximately 150 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
Upon arrival, first responders found Dakota lying unconscious near the driveway of the home. Despite immediate CPR efforts by deputies and later by emergency medical personnel, Dakota succumbed to his injuries two days later in the hospital. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was severe brain swelling and prolonged oxygen deprivation, which also resulted in organ damage and hemorrhaging of the liver and lungs. The manner of death was ruled as homicide.
At the scene, Wilson was described as visibly distraught. She explained to the police that Dakota had been misbehaving throughout the day and had run away from home after refusing to do his chores. Wilson found Dakota a few blocks away, talking to another woman who informed Wilson that Dakota had asked her to call the police.
According to court documents, Wilson managed to get Dakota back home, but the boy attempted to leave again. Wilson admitted to restraining Dakota, but the exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear. Footage from a doorbell camera showed Wilson lying on Dakota’s midsection for an extended period, during which the boy became motionless.
Wilson reportedly called Dakota’s caseworker during this time and later claimed she thought Dakota was pretending when he stopped moving. When she realized he had lost consciousness, she can be heard on the footage calling out his name in panic. Dakota, who stood 4 foot 10 inches tall and weighed 90 pounds, was significantly smaller than Wilson, who was 4 foot 11 inches and weighed 340 pounds.
Wilson began serving her sentence last Friday, as per official records.