In August 2024, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell brought Violet Mitchell, their seven-year-old daughter, to a hospital in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Violet was already dead, but her state was shocking to the doctors. Violet was covered in bruises, she was extremely malnourished and showed signs of internal injuries. She only weighed 29 pounds. Police later arrested Violet's parents and her uncle and aunt in connection to Violet's death.
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Violet Mitchell's body arrived at the St. Anthony's Medical Center on August 2. According to an autopsy report obtained by KOCO, she had bruises all around her body, sunken eyes, and a bacterial infection, among other things. She was "essentially skin and bones" given the level of malnourishment she experienced. A baby bottle top she had swallowed was blocking her small intestine, which was the cause of her death.
The extreme neglect Violet had undergone was not a secret. Two days before her death, a neighbor named Tera Day tried to help her. "I took her because she was hungry," Day told NewsNation. "She looked malnourished. I fed her chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, and carrots. She didn't tell me anything about her parents, just that they loved her. That's all she said and she cried and I took her back home."
Extreme Neglect And Abuse
According to the Oklahoman, a relative of the family called the police and told them that he had overheard a group call where the callers were "trying to come up with the same story regarding the death of Violet." The relative also told police that Anthony's brother, David, and Lisa's sister, Tiffany, knew that Violet was dead before Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell brought her to the hospital.
Said relative was not the only one to come forward. One of Violet's cousins, a seven-year-old girl, told police that Violet's parents barely fed her, and was oftentimes tied to her crib. Where she allegedly died. Not only that, but the girl said that her parents would beat her daughter with a broomstick and go to the extent of gluing her mouth shut. They would also curse Violet and starve her if she cried.
Anthony Yonko, David Yonko, Lisa Mitchell, and Tiffany Mitchell were all arrested by the police. Court records show that authorities charged them with second-degree murder. Anthony, Lisa, and Tiffany are held on a $5 million bond while David is held on a $1 million bond. Violet's parents pleaded not guilty.
