Vulnerable disabled boy, 15, was starved to death by adoptive parents... after social worker who visited six days before wrote that he was in 'no present danger'

A 15-year-old disabled boy starved to death just days after a social worker had deemed there to be no danger in his home, despite the child admitting to being spanked and deprived of food.

Karreon Adams-Franks died on November 27, 2020, after his adoptive parents, Felicia Adams and Jesse Franks, abused him.

Adams, who is the sister of Karreon's biological mother, and Franks were sentenced to 35 and 30 years respectively in December 2023 for his murder.

Last week, the State of Washington – including the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) – and the Evergreen School District settled with Karreon's estate for $49.3 million.

The payment will be split between the district and the state. 

Davis Law Group, which represented the estate, including Karreon's two surviving brothers, said there were years of warning signs that the three boys were suffering at home, a statement said. 

Adams and Franks used extension cords and canes to beat the boys, withheld food as punishment, and locked them inside their bedrooms for days. 

When Karreon died, he weighed just 61 pounds. A little over a year before, the boy weighed 115 pounds. Karreon was also autistic, nonverbal, and legally blind. 

Adams and Franks used extension cords and canes to beat Karreon and his two brothers, who survived. They also withheld food from them. Adams was sentenced to 35 years and Franks for 30 in 2023

DCYF received reports about the abuse as early as 2017, the law firm stated. Three years later, a relative reported the couple to the agency, saying Karreon looked like a 'walking skeleton.' 

A DCYF employee visited the home just six days before the boy died, noting that he was 'very skinny,' the law firm said. 

'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.' 

Since his death, the agency has made changes to its policy, including that employees are now required to take photographs when responding to abuse cases, The Seattle Times reported.  

Karreon's estate also said the school district neglected to protect the boys, as it had previously reported to Adams that the boys had mentioned not getting any food over the weekend. They were beaten because of it, the law firm said. 

In 2021, the medical examiner determined Karreon had died from starvation and neglect. His death was ruled a homicide. 

Adams and Franks turned themselves in after officials issued a warrant for their arrest, according to KOIN. 

A social worker had visited the home just six days before his death, noting that he was 'very skinny' but said there was no danger in the home 

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In 2023, they were both 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.'  

The Daily Mail has reached out to Evergreen Public Schools and DCYF for comment.