A 7-year-old girl tragically passed away after swallowing the top of a baby bottle, which obstructed her small intestines, as revealed by an autopsy report from the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner’s office. The mother of the girl, along with three others, has been charged related to the case.
The autopsy report released on Nov. 17 indicates that Violet Mitchell died from failure to thrive caused by a foreign body obstructing her proximal small intestine.
The medical examiner’s office stated that it remains uncertain whether the obstruction discovered in Violet Mitchell’s intestines was due to an accident or was deliberate.
Following Violet’s passing, Mitchell’s mother Lisa, aged 31, along with her boyfriend Anthony Yonko, 37, were taken into custody. They are now facing charges of second-degree murder related to Violet’s death. David Yonko, 25, the brother of Yonko, and Tiffany, 25, the sister of Mitchell, have also been charged with second-degree murder, as reported by the News Tribune.
The autopsy revealed that the girl weighed just 29 lbs., appearing “essentially skin on bones,” and had a bacterial infection along with abrasions on her cheek, shoulder, and left leg.
On August 2, Lisa Mitchell and Anthony Yonko brought the child to St. Anthony’s Medical Center at approximately 11:30 a.m. Hospital staff observed that the girl was underweight and had bruising, as reported by KOCO, referencing an arrest affidavit. The couple stated that “they had been giving her soup and crackers, believing she had the flu,” according to the affidavit.
A cousin informed authorities that Lisa Mitchell frequently mistreated the girl, reportedly binding her legs to the crib with zipties, according to KOCO.
Lisa Mitchell’s hearing is set for November 27. David Yonko will appear in court on December 5. Anthony Yonko’s hearing is set for January 22. Tiffany Mitchell’s hearing is set for March 10.