Parents Claim Flu, Hospital Reveals Shocking Malnutrition
In a tragic case, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell, parents of a 7-year-old girl, brought her lifeless and malnourished daughter to Saint Anthony’s Midwest Hospital in Oklahoma, claiming she had the flu. According to a probable cause affidavit, the girl was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival on Friday morning.
Signs of severe neglect
Medical staff reported that the girl exhibited signs of rigor mortis and both internal and external injuries. Severely malnourished, the child weighed only 25 pounds and was 37 inches tall, half the average weight for her age, according to the CDC. Doctors noted “numerous amounts of black and dark red secretions” emanating from her mouth when pressure was applied to her stomach.
Contradictory statements from the father
When questioned about his daughter’s severe emaciation, Yonko allegedly claimed she was “completely healthy” just four or five days prior, weighing 50 pounds, and could not explain why she had dropped to half that weight by the time of her death. He also insisted he “feeds the child all the time.”
Yonko further stated that he and his daughter had slept in the same room the night before, and he found her unresponsive and needing medical attention the following morning. He claimed they had been giving her “crackers and soup” because she might have had the flu.
Despite this, Yonko admitted they hadn’t sought medical care for her since she was much younger. His account of events shifted multiple times during interviews with law enforcement. Eventually, Yonko said that his brother, who resided with them at Vista Green apartments seven miles east of Oklahoma City, had driven them to the hospital. The brother reported that Yonko was “freaking out” on Friday morning, insisting they needed to get their daughter to medical care.
Charges and legal proceedings
Both Yonko and Mitchell have been charged with first-degree murder. Yonko faces additional charges of torturing, causing the death of a child by injuring, and maiming. This case follows a similar incident in Minnesota, where a father was sentenced to five years in prison for starving his 7-year-old daughter to death.
The community is grappling with the horrific details as authorities continue their investigation. Law enforcement and child protection agencies emphasize the need for vigilance in identifying and reporting signs of child abuse and neglect.