A 7-year-old girl from Oklahoma died after swallowing the top of a baby bottle, which caused a blockage in her small intestines, an autopsy report has revealed. Violet Mitchell’s tragic death has led to charges against her mother and three others.
The autopsy, released on November 17, listed the cause of death as “failure to thrive” due to a blockage in the “proximal small intestine by a foreign body.” The Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner’s office said it is unclear whether the obstruction was accidental or intentional.
Following Violet’s death, her mother, Lisa Mitchell, 31, and her boyfriend, Anthony Yonko, 37, were arrested. They, along with Yonko’s brother David Yonko, 25, and Mitchell’s sister Tiffany, 25, have been charged with second-degree murder.
The autopsy also revealed that Violet weighed just 29 pounds, described as “essentially skin on bones.” In addition to the intestinal blockage, the report noted that Violet had a bacterial infection and visible abrasions on her cheek, shoulder, and left leg.
The case came to light on August 2, when Violet was brought to St. Anthony’s Medical Center by Lisa Mitchell and Anthony Yonko. Hospital staff noted the child was severely underweight and showed signs of bruising. According to an arrest affidavit, the couple claimed they had been feeding Violet soup and crackers, believing she had the flu.
However, a cousin later told authorities that Lisa Mitchell regularly abused Violet, including tying the girl’s legs to a crib with zip ties.
A neighbor, Tera Day, told KFOR that just two days before Violet’s death, she had fed the child chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, and carrots. “I took her because she was hungry,” Day said. “She looked malnourished. She didn’t tell me anything about her parents, just that they loved her. That’s all she said, and she cried.”
Court hearings for the four suspects are scheduled as follows: Lisa Mitchell on November 27, David Yonko on December 5, Anthony Yonko on January 22, and Tiffany Mitchell on March 10. Attorneys for the accused could not be reached for comment.
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