10 year old Ame Deal died of suffocation after being locked in a footlocker overnight as punishment for stealing a popsicle. Ame’s grandparents, with whom she lived, frequently locked her in the footlocker as a punishment and sometimes threw it around with her inside. Some time before her death, Ame’s aunt had thrown her in a cold pool and held her head underwater while she struggled. Ame had attended public school but teachers became suspicious about her home life and child protective services launched an investigation. Ame’s grandparents responded by moving across state lines and opting to homeschool the girl. Ame’s grandparents and other relatives also beat her, forced her to walk barefoot on searing hot pavement, and forced her to drink hot sauce as punishment. Ame was one of a dozen children living in the house, which was strewn with garbage. The children slept in tents in the garden.

Date: July 2011
Location: Phoenix, Arizona