A disabled 15-year-old boy died from starvation only days after a social worker concluded that there was no immediate danger in his home, even though he had disclosed being spanked and denied food.
Karreon Adams-Franks died on November 27, 2020, following prolonged abuse by his adoptive parents, Felicia Adams and Jesse Franks.
Adams, the sister of Karreon’s biological mother, received a 35-year prison sentence. Franks was sentenced to 30 years after both were convicted in connection with the boy’s death in December 2023.
The State of Washington, including the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), and the Evergreen School District agreed last week to a $49.3 million settlement with Karreon’s estate.
The settlement will be divided between the state and the school district.
Davis Law Group, which represented the estate and Karreon’s two surviving brothers, said authorities had received years of warning signs that the three children were being abused at home.
According to the firm, Adams and Franks beat the boys with extension cords and canes, used food as a form of punishment, and confined them to their bedrooms for days at a time.
Karreon weighed only 61 pounds when he died, down from 115 pounds slightly more than a year earlier. He was autistic, nonverbal, and legally blind.
Karreon Adams-Franks died on November 27, 2020, after his adoptive parents, Felicia Adams and Jesse Franks, starved him. The teenager was autistic, nonverbal, and legally blind.
Adams and Franks beat Karreon and his two surviving brothers with extension cords and canes and withheld food from them. Adams received a 35-year sentence, while Franks was sentenced to 30 years in 2023.
The law firm said DCYF had been alerted to possible abuse as early as 2017. In 2020, a relative contacted the agency again, reporting that Karreon appeared to be a “walking skeleton.”
A DCYF worker visited the family home six days before Karreon’s death and recorded that the boy was “very skinny,” according to the firm.
“This child was very skinny but also very tall. Did not have any observable injuries on exposed skin,” the DCYF fatality review stated, according to The Seattle Times.
“The caseworker encouraged the mother to look up the laws regarding acceptable discipline and said spanking with an object was not advised. She then left the home and documented that there was no present danger.”
The agency has since revised its procedures. Among the changes, workers must now take photographs when investigating reports of child abuse, The Seattle Times reported.
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Karreon’s estate also alleged that the school district failed to intervene. The district had previously told Adams that the boys said they had gone without food over a weekend, but the law firm said the children were beaten after making that disclosure.
A medical examiner concluded in 2021 that Karreon died because of starvation and neglect. His death was classified as a homicide.
Adams and Franks surrendered after authorities issued arrest warrants, according to KOIN.
A social worker visited the home six days before Karreon died and noted that he was “very skinny,” but determined that there was no immediate danger inside the residence.
In 2023, both defendants were convicted of domestic violence homicide and criminal mistreatment.
‘No amount of money will ever make up for what happened to Karreon and what his brothers lived through,’ lawyer Chris Davis said in a statement.
The boys were forced to watch their older brother slowly die. The people and agencies responsible for protecting them, at school and at the State, saw the warning signs for years and did not act.
‘We hope this settlement gives Karreon’s brothers the stability and support to build the future they deserve. We also hope it reminds every governmental agency and school district that each warning sign must be treated as if a child’s life depends on it, because it often does.’
In a statement, Evergreen Public Schools said: ‘The district recognizes the profound loss of Karreon’s life and the lasting impact on his family. This was a tragic situation and the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes are in prison for their actions.
‘Evergreen Public Schools hopes that this settlement will allow Karreon’s brothers to continue healing without the burden of enduring a trial.’
It also maintained that ‘none of its staff failed to make a mandatory report’ to DCYF.
‘The district maintains that its staff are well-trained and understand their mandatory reporting responsibilities,’ it said in a statement.
The district said it agreed to settle to avoid a ‘jury verdict exceeding the district’s available insurance coverage.’
Our News Outlet has reached out to Evergreen Public Schools and DCYF for comment.
