A 12-year-old American girl may have died indirectly from a severe lice infestation that lasted for at least three years
Kaitlyn Yozviak died in August of cardiac arrest, a secondary cause being severe anemia, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent Ryan Hilton, WMAZ-TV reported
The GBI said earlier that the girl was in « excessive physical pain due to medical negligence », although the results of the autopsy are not yet complete
Hilton testified that at the time of her death, Kaitlyn was suffering from the « most serious » lice infestation the GBI office had ever seen
He said he believed the repeated bites from the lice lowered his blood iron levels, which likely caused anemia, and may have triggered the heart attack
Her mother also told investigators that Kaitlyn had not bathed in the last week and a half before her death
Wilkinson County Superior Court Judge Brenda Trammell agreed there was enough evidence for the second degree murder charges against parents Mary Katherine « Katie » Horton and Joey Yozviak to go to a grand jury
When officers arrived at the family’s home in August, the interior was dirty and in poor condition
Neighbors told officers they had not seen Kaitlyn play in the house for a month and a half to two months before her death
Georgia Division of Family and Children’s Services documents show Kaitlyn’s two brothers were evicted from Horton and Yozviak’s home due to unsanitary conditions
In 2008, the DFCS opened another case around the time of Kaitlyn’s birth, after the parents decided not to let her up for adoption
The agency did not receive any reports on the family until 2018, where files show a call that the house was « infested with bugs, (with) excessive cats and unsafe conditions »
Kaitlyn was briefly placed with her aunt and returned to her parents’ house six days later
Head lice infestation, head lice
News from the world – UA – 12-year-old girl dies from « severe head lice infestation »
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
