A starving 7-year-old with mouth sealed shut’ dies in a diaper meant for a 3-year-old. Police

More details of the horrifying death of a 7-year-old child who was tortured and malnourished by several family members are available in recently unsealed court filings in Oklahoma.

In August, the victim’s aunt and uncle, David Yonko and Tiffany Mitchell, as well as the victim’s parents, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell, were taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of young Violet Mitchell, according to court documents.

David Yonko and Tiffany Mitchell have been charged with child neglect, while Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell are also accused with first-degree murder.

According to a newly filed autopsy report that Oklahoma City ABC station KOCO was able to get, Violet died after eating the rubber cap of a baby bottle nipple, which totally obstructed the first section of her small intestines.

According to the Oklahoma City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, the 7-year-old child was described as basically skin on bone, weighed just 29 pounds, and had sunken eyes. Her length was 40 inches. On the morning of August 2, 2024, she was taken to the hospital in a three-year-old’s diaper.

The medical examiner listed failure to thrive as Violet’s cause of death.

According to the medical examiner’s findings, the examiner is unsure whether the intestinal blockage caused by the foreign body was an accident or deliberate.

As previously stated, on Friday, August 2, 2024, at about 1:08 p.m., detectives from the Midwest City Police Department’s Investigations Unit received a call from the county medical examiner’s office regarding a kid who had been taken to the emergency department of Saint Anthony’s Midwest Hospital. Around 11:28 a.m., the victim was driven in a private vehicle to the hospital, where he was declared dead shortly after.

Medical staff who treated the youngster reported that she had potential interior and exterior injuries as well as symptoms of rigor mortis.

According to the affidavit, [a doctor] said that when performing treatment on the child, “many amounts of black and dark red secretions came from the child’s mouth when pushing on her stomach area.” The infant, who weighed just around 25 pounds and had a tail that was roughly 37 inches long, was very emaciated.

A girl of that age typically weighs about fifty pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

About seven miles east of Oklahoma City, Anthony Yonko informed police that he, Lisa Mitchell, and their kids were lodging at the Vista Green apartments on the 7000 block of E. Reno Avenue. Police said that the father’s account evolved over time.

The affidavit states that on August 1, at approximately 9 p.m., Anthony Yonko first stated that he had fallen asleep on a tiny couch in the same room as Lisa Mitchell and the victim.

He claimed that when he woke up the following day at around nine in the morning, Lisa Mitchell told him that the victim was ill, immobile, and in need of hospitalization.

Although he was unable to give the name or phone number of his friend, Anthony Yonko stated that the friend had driven him, Lisa Mitchell, and the victim to the hospital.

Additionally, he said that even though they hadn’t visited a doctor since the kid was much younger, they had been giving the victim crackers and soup because they thought she might have the flu.

Anthony Yonko was detained by police and sent to Midwest City Jail, where he allegedly consented to meet with detectives once again after being informed of his Miranda rights.

Anthony repeatedly lied during the interview, claiming that the victim, Lisa, and he were the only people in the apartment, according to the police affidavit.

Later, he claimed that when he woke up this morning, Lisa informed him that (the victim) was not moving, and that Lisa’s sister, boyfriend, and two or three other kids were in the apartment. In the morning, Anthony claimed that Lisa was playing with the victim, but he later claimed that she was not moving.

Anthony Yonko allegedly stated that the victim weighed fifty pounds just four or five days prior and was in perfect health when questioned about his daughter’s malnourished state. He also added that he constantly feeds the youngster. He failed to provide an explanation for her low weight of twenty-five pounds and her poor health at the time of her death.

Anthony Yonko continued by saying that his brother, David Yonko, had been staying at their house and that it was his brother who had driven him and his family to the hospital.

On the morning of August 2, David Yonko reportedly informed police that Anthony Yonko was losing his mind and that they had to take him to the hospital. David Yonko stated that he was terrified and had to get to work, so he drove away after dropping the parents and child off at the hospital.

According to KOCO, Violet’s cousin said to investigators that Lisa Mitchell regularly struck her with a broom and bound her with zip ties or threads. According to reports, Violet’s cousin promised to free her from her constraints whenever she could.

The relative also said that Violet’s parents would glue her mouth shut.

The report claims that the cousin tried to pry the adhesive from Violet’s mouth after it was sealed shut.

Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell are being held without bond at this time. Records show that David Yonko’s bond has been set at $1 million, while Tiffany Mitchell is being held on a $5 million bond.

The defendants have all entered not guilty pleas.

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