On October 5, 2022, a Texas mom pleaded guilty to the murder of her 7-year-old disabled daughter, whom she left home without adult supervision. The child was bedridden due to her condition. For the mom's unthinkable crime, she was sentenced to life in prison.
The investigation into this case began in January 2020. A welfare check was conducted at mother Lauren Kay Dean’s residence on January 31. While conducting this check, Bay City police found the body of her daughter Jordynn Barrera.
Prosecutors working on this case noted that the child had both Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. Because of these disabilities, she needed around-the-clock care. She was noncommunicative and utilized a feeding tube.
The investigation found that Dean left not only Jordynn home alone but also her two siblings. At the time, they were just 5 years old and 3 months old. Dean went to Shades Nightclub, a bar not too far from her home. Because of her negligence, Jordynn died.
Dean was booked into Matagorda County Jail. Her charges were three counts of second-degree felony abandonment and endangerment of a child and placing them in imminent danger of bodily injury. Charges were later updated to include capital murder of a person under the age of 10.
The Bay City Tribune reported on this tragic case. It said that Dean pleaded guilty to avoid the heartache of a trial. She also wanted to avoid the possibility of receiving the death penalty.
For the capital murder charges, Dean was sentenced to life in prison. For her abandonment charges, she was given 20 years. Both of these sentences will be served concurrently.
Dean did not speak in her own defense. She chose not to address the court at all. She let her legal team handle that.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 7 children have experienced neglect or abuse in the last year. This statistic is most likely a low-ball estimate because oftentimes this goes unreported. In 2020, 1,750 children died of neglect and abuse.
Children living in poverty are five times more likely to suffer abuse or neglect. Abuse and neglect also financially burden society as a whole. In 2018, the total lifetime economic burden caused by child abuse and neglect was around $592 billion.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
