16-year-old Markea Berry, who was mentally disabled, weighed only 40 pounds when she was found dead in her mother’s home. Relatives reported that Markea’s mother, Ebony Berry, was abusive toward her when the family had lived in Michigan. The family left Michigan for Georgia to avoid investigation by child protective services. Ebony homeschooled Markea along with her siblings, and systematically starved them. Markea’s malnourished look had landed the family on radar of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services, but her case was closed in the midst of a push to trim caseloads by referring them to social services rather than taking children into custody. After Markea’s death, neighbors reported that they had not even been aware that there was a teenager living in the home.

Date: June 15, 2012
Location: Atlanta, Georgia