Name: Gary Blanton III.
Died: April 17, 2015.
Age at death: 5.
Cause of death: Skull fracture.
Location: Chattaroy, Washington, USA.
Details:
Gary was a rambunctious child who ran up and down the hallways and even climbed into the washing machine.
Gary was diagnosed with a simple developmental delay and had not been evaluated for autism, but his family believe he must have been on the spectrum because of his behavior. He hadn’t learned very much speech, but knew how to greet people with a smile.
Gary died from a skull fracture. His aunt was arrested and charged with fatally abusing him, but she was acquitted at trial. Although investigators determined that the skull fracture was too severe to have been caused by a fall from a crib, the jury could not find sufficient evidence to convict.
Authorities also discovered that Gary’s caseworker had been falsifying health-and-wellness visit reports.
References:
Jury acquits Chattaroy woman of killing 5-year-old nephew
Chattaroy woman arrested for five-year-old nephew’s death
Obituary
‘Everyone failed him’: Boy’s aunt accused of murder, DSHS accused of ‘critical errors’
Autism Memorial 