Podcast Summary: Suffer the Little Children, Episode 193: Dakota Levi Stevens (Part 1) April 26, 2025 – Hosted by Lane

Episode Overview

This deeply moving episode of Suffer the Little Children—dedicated to telling the stories of children lost to abuse and giving a voice to the victims and their families—focuses on the tragic life and death of Dakota Levi Stevens, a 10-year-old boy from Indiana who died in foster care after years of systemic failure. Part 1 recounts Levi’s life from birth through the events leading to his death and the immediate aftermath, highlighting the emotional impact on his loved ones, the failings of Indiana’s child protective system, and calls for systemic reform.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Levi’s Early Life and Family Background

• Levi’s Childhood: Born in 2013 to Gabby and Cody, named after his great-grandfather. Known as Levi by family.
• Family’s Struggles: Both parents struggled with drug addiction, leading to Levi and his younger sister ("NS") entering Indiana Department of Child Services’ (DCS) custody in 2018, when Levi was four.
• Living with Aunt Anna: Placed with Aunt Anna, who recalls his boundless energy and joy, especially his love of bug-hunting and playing outdoors.
  • "His eyes popped open in the morning and he was go go go. His passions were digging for bugs and playing outside with his sister." (Ana, 05:28)
• Disruption and Trauma: Despite frequent therapy (mandated by DCS), Levi and NS were abruptly removed from Anna’s care over concerns about therapy attendance, despite strong family support.
  • "Levi was never traumatized until he got in the system. One day he woke up and nobody he loved was around him no more." (Levi’s grandma, Melissa Mailer, 08:37)

2. Separation and Foster Care Instability

• Court Decisions: Judge Miller consistently denied family placements and eventually terminated parental rights after the parents relapsed.

• Foster Care Shuffles: Levi and NS cycled through various foster families and facilities, including a long stint with foster father Hayden Hetzel, who advocated for them but was suddenly informed of their removal via text.

  • "Dakota begged for a while to come back because he felt safe and happy at our home." (Hayden Hetzel, 15:27)

• Psychological Impact: Diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder due to multiple traumatic separations. Possibly an autism diagnosis as well, though unconfirmed.

3. Placement with the Wilsons and Events Leading to Levi’s Death

• Move to Valparaiso: In April 2024, Levi was placed with Robert (a school principal) and Jennifer Wilson (a DCS-contracted care manager). The family trusted the Wilsons, viewing them as upstanding community members.

• Fatal Incident (April 25, 2024):

  • After a morning behavioral dispute, Levi ran away and sought help from neighbor Jill House Rainbolt, asking her to call the police and DCS, reporting physical abuse.
  • DCS instructed the neighbor to return Levi to Jennifer.
  • Jennifer tackled Levi upon returning home, restraining him by laying her 341lb body atop his 91lb frame for over eight minutes.
  • Levi went motionless; Jennifer delayed calling for help, first seeking “cover” from the impending DCS complaint.
  • "I was laying on him and he was acting bad." (Jennifer, 27:40 on Ring footage)

• Death & Medical Response: Levi was declared brain dead due to mechanical asphyxia (oxygen deprivation). He passed on April 27, 2024.

4. Systemic Failures and Family Exclusion

• Family Excluded: Levi’s family was kept in the dark about his medical state and denied participation in his funeral arrangements until persistent advocacy and citation of DCS regulations forced a reversal.
• Judge Miller & DCS Criticized: The family highlights repeated failures, possible judicial conflicts of interest, and lack of transparency from DCS.

5. Community Response, Legal Proceedings, and the Aftermath

• Funeral & Community Mourning:

  • Levi’s funeral was finally held May 6, 2024, with tributes highlighting his cleverness, kindness, and love for his sister and nature.
  • Candlelight vigil attended by the neighborhood, his foster family, and friends.
  • "He had a beautiful laugh and a beautiful smile... Even all the trauma he’d been through, he still managed to see the good in things." (Melena Blanchard, 42:28)

• Legal Proceedings:

  • Jennifer was charged with reckless homicide (not direct murder or higher charge), later pleading guilty and sentenced to six years (one suspended).
  • Protests and petitions seek stronger accountability both for her actions and for the system as a whole.
  • "There need to be changes. A child lost his life and it was senseless. It was a system that was supposed to protect him and it failed." (Sabrina Hetzel, 48:12 at vigil)

• Quotes from Levi's Family and Friends:

  • "I have and will continue to love you with every part of my heart... I hope his death does not go unnoticed and causes some changes to be made." (Hayden Hetzel, 34:54 & 49:03)
  • "He was better than a lot of people here... He taught me so much." (Great aunt Nicole, 44:02)

6. Remembering Levi: Who He Was

• Personal Memories: Levi is described by family, teachers, and foster parents as bright, loving, inquisitive, and resilient despite so much adversity.
  • Loved bugs, sharks, Thomas the Train, Legos, math, and his little sister.
  • "He was such a smart kid. He was 10 with an IQ of almost 130." (Cousin Logan Mills, 61:35)
  • "His happiest moments were with the ones he loved. His smile could light up any room." (Obituary, 64:26)
  • "He was searching for belonging. He wanted so much to trade Pokemon cards that he once snuck his cards in his shoe so caregivers wouldn't know." (Bus driver, 63:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Systemic Negligence
  "Jennifer's body weight cut off oxygen to Levi's brain for about eight minutes. The human brain can only go four to six minutes without oxygen before brain cells begin to die." (48:26)

• On Institutional Accountability:
  "This was far from the first time DCS had failed an Indiana child... It's obvious something needs to be done about Indiana's child protection, foster care, and family court systems." (39:27)

• On the Community’s Call for Change:
  "Justice for Dakota... She took his voice away. That's all we're trying is to be his voice." (Protest, 51:58)

• On Never Meeting Levi:
  "I'll tell you what: I honestly wish I had the opportunity to meet this special little guy even once, and I know his family would give anything in the world to have him back." (Lane, 70:22)

Key Timestamps

• 01:52 – Intro to Levi’s story and parallel to other improper restraint death cases
• 04:37 – Levi’s young personality and first removal from his parents
• 05:28 – Aunt Anna details Levi’s passions and good nature
• 09:00 – Family blocked from custody; court and DCS resistance
• 15:27 – Placement with Hayden Hetzel and repeated moves
• 18:26 – The day of Levi’s death and EMT response
• 27:40 – Ring camera evidence and Jennifer’s words during the incident
• 32:39 – Grandfather George’s desperate online plea for information
• 43:03 – Levi’s school essays and funeral tributes
• 47:06 – Candlelight vigil and community response
• 48:26 – Autopsy confirms homicide, community demand for justice
• 56:41 – Judge’s outraged words at sentencing: "This court will not ignore him like you did."
• 61:30 – Family memories capturing Levi’s kindness, intelligence, quirks

Episode Tone, Takeaways, and Calls to Action

Lane approaches Levi’s story with a balance of journalistic rigor and personal compassion, emphasizing both the uniquely bright spirit of the little boy and the series of system failures that contributed to his needless suffering and death. The episode is a call to accountability and reform—both in court and within the foster care system.

• Petition links for:
  • Demanding the removal of Principal Robert Wilson.
  • Holding Indiana DCS accountable.
  • Advocating for “Levi’s Law”—requiring adults to report when a child separately seeks help.

Next Episode: The story continues in Part 2, with direct conversations with Levi’s family.

For anyone who cares about child protection, family rights, or systemic reform, this episode offers a vital and heartbreaking case study, urging change in both policy and personal vigilance.