Anna Nicole Farmer, 12, was tortured, starved, and beaten to death by her stepfather, James Kevin Yost. Her mother, Bridget Nicole Farmer, knew about the abuse and did nothing. Anna was homeschooled and was singled out for torture. Farmer had three other children (ages 9, 8, and 20 mo.).
Yost kept Anna locked in her room so that she had to use it as a toilet. Anna was forbidden from speaking with her siblings or her mother. She was not allowed to eat with the family and was forced to eat standing up at the counter, limited to five minutes per meal, and fed only sardines, beets, and kidney beans. Yost punished Anna by forcing her to take cold showers and beating her with a board. He did not allow Bridget to seek medical treatment for Anna’s injuries. There were also signs that Anna had been sexually abused shortly before her death. Anna’s education consisted of accompanying Yost to his work at a flea market and copying verses from the Bible.
Anna’s death was caused by multiple blunt force trauma to her abdomen. The beating that killed her may have been administered up to 48 hours before her death, which occurred during another beating. After killing Anna, Yost went on the run. On his orders, Farmer waited 8 hours to notify authorities that her daughter was dead.
Yost was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Farmer was charged with two counts of injury to a child but took a plea deal to serve 10 years of probation, surrender all her parental rights, and testify against Yost.
Date: December 29, 2003
Location: Pearland, Texas
>
| Documents: | Date: |
| Police investigating death of 12-year-old girl as homicide | 12-31-2003 |
| Judge bars parents from visiting kids | 01-07-2004 |
| Mistrial declared after juror declares partiality | 03-23-2005 |
| Pearland man gets life in 12-year-old’s death | 10-13-2005 |
| Mother gets probation in Pearland girl’s death | 02-24-2006 |
| James Kevin YOST, Appellant v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee | 04-24-2007 |
