There are few states that report out egregious harm or death of children at the hands of their parents. Minnesota Nonprofit Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota has recently compiled this report on 88 of the 200 children dying at the hands of caregivers. It should be a model for all states. How they died, why they died, and what wasn’t done that allowed these children to live such tortured lives and die so tragically. Share the report with your State Representative with a note about keeping at-risk children alive.
What follows is a short list of young children killed by their parents or caregivers around the nation recently.
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Noah Cuatro (California, 2019–2021 legal aftermath) – 4-year-old Palmdale boy tortured and murdered by his parents while authorities ignored a court order to remove him from the home.
L.A. Times | ABC7 News | Child Welfare Monitor -
Doerman children (Ohio, 2023) – Clayton (7), Chase (4), and Hunter (3) were shot execution-style by their father, Chad Doerman, in front of their mother before he called 911 to confess.
Wikipedia -
Haight family murders (Utah, 2023) – Michael Haight killed his wife, mother-in-law, and five children (ages 4–17) before taking his own life; authorities later revealed past domestic violence.
Wikipedia -
Nnakai Pratt (Indiana, 2025) – 6‑month‑old baby beaten to death by his father; both parents arrested after social media outcry.
WTHR13 Facebook -
Secoriea Turner (Georgia, 2020) – 8‑year‑old fatally shot amid Atlanta protests; became a flashpoint for debate over child safety during mass unrest.
YouTube trial coverage -
Unnamed girl (Connecticut, 2024) – 11‑year‑old starved and restrained with zip ties; her mother admitted to “stopping feeding her weeks before she died.”
Yahoo News -
Jailyn Candelario (Ohio, 2023) – 1‑year‑old left home alone for eight days while her mother vacationed; she starved to death.
Wikipedia -
Massaquois child (Florida, 2025) – 12‑year‑old boy died after prolonged starvation and physical abuse; parents charged with capital murder after invoking “faith‑healing” claims.
The Independent -
Cecilia Cross (Minnesota, 2025) – 10‑year‑old autistic girl found dead in her bedroom, locked inside a “cage‑like” bed; parents charged with manslaughter.
Star Tribune | LPTV -
Wyatt Pickett (Texas, 2021) – 2‑year‑old beaten to death by his father after the Texas CPS closed the case despite multiple reports of ongoing violence.
Texas Public Radio -
D’Money Lewis (Texas, 2022) – Child died from chronic abuse and blunt‑force trauma; the family had been the subject of prior uninvestigated complaints.
Texas Public Radio -
Khyree Johnson (Texas, 2023) – Infant suffocated after sleeping in unsafe conditions; family had lost a prior child under similar neglectful oversight.
Texas Public Radio -
Kentrell Hinton (Texas, 2023) – 20‑day‑old baby died of neglect and drug exposure after social workers issued but failed to enforce a “safety plan.”
Texas Public Radio -
A’Lona (Texas, 2022) – Toddler died while under kinship custody despite warnings about unsafe placement and repeated caregiver drug use.
Texas Public Radio -
Smith siblings (Oklahoma, 2023) – Four minors among seven victims killed by convicted rapist Jesse McFadden in Henryetta; the case raised questions about background‑check policy.
Wikipedia -
Parraz children (California, 2023) – Nycholas (10 months) and Alissa (16) killed during a family massacre by gang‑affiliated relatives in Tulare County.
Wikipedia -
Unnamed infant (Minnesota, 2024) – Died from fentanyl toxicity; parents charged after toddler found with traces of the drug in his bloodstream.
Minnesota House PDF -
Jorden Borders (Minnesota, 2025) – Crosslake mother convicted of child torture, felony neglect, and Medicaid fraud; sentenced to 39 years in prison.
Bring Me The News | MN Attorney General -
Travis Decker (Washington, 2025) – “Active dad” killed his three daughters before allegedly attempting to stage a disappearance; later arrested and charged with aggravated murder.
ABC News -
Haileigh and Connor Rector (Tennessee, 2021) – Siblings killed in murder‑suicide by their father during a custody dispute involving domestic‑abuse allegations.
Wikipedia
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