Episode 194: Dakota Levi Stevens (Part 2)

Episode 194: Dakota Levi Stevens (Part 2)

Author: Suffer the Little Children April 30, 2025 Duration: 52:15
In the last episode, I told you the story of ten-year-old Dakota Levi Stevens, a smart, creative, charming kid who was dealt a bad hand in life and died at the hands of a foster mother and longtime family friend. Jennifer Wilson is now serving a regrettably short sentence in the Indiana prison system for crushing 91-pound Levi to death with her 341-pound body weight.

In this episode, you’ll hear my conversation with three of the people who loved Levi the most: Grandma Melissa Mahler; Aunt Ana Parrish; and Uncle Alex Parrish. Levi’s maternal family members told me about their family's constant attempts to rescue Levi from the foster care system; their heartache at Levi’s bright light being snuffed out by someone they thought they could trust; and their efforts to make changes to help other kids like Levi.

This is part two of the heart-wrenching story of Dakota Levi Stevens.

Honoring Dakota Levi Stevens on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3953712874915112/ 

Change.org petition to remove Robert Wilson as middle school principal: https://www.change.org/p/demand-the-removal-of-principal-robert-wilson-from-lake-ridge-new-tech-middle-school 

Change.org petition to hold DCS accountable for failing Indiana’s vulnerable children: https://www.change.org/p/hold-the-department-of-children-and-family-services-accountable-for-foster-child-deaths 

Levi’s Law petition: https://www.change.org/p/let-s-get-levi-s-law-started?recruiter=295397157&recruited_by_id=d285ea50-f8dd-11e4-8573-5be613050eb0 

Lake County Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Child Abuse (April 30): https://www.facebook.com/share/16RPD7VvE4/ 

Photos related to today's episode can be viewed on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpod 

You can also follow the podcast on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sufferthelittlechildrenpod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@STLCpod

My Linktree is available here: https://linktr.ee/stlcpod 

Visit the podcast's web page at https://www.sufferthelittlechildrenpod.com. 

By supporting me on Patreon, you'll also access rewards, including a shout-out by name on the podcast and exclusive rewards. Visit www.patreon.com/STLCpod. 

You can also support the podcast on www.Ko-Fi.com/STLCpod. 

**New! Become a member of my channel for perks, ranging from a shout-out, members-only chat emoji, loyalty badges, to other rewards. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCogRWoIzWMy7TX5PuX18smQ/join 

Join my Spreaker Supporters' Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/suffer-the-little-children--4232884/support 

This podcast is researched, written, hosted, edited, and produced by Laine.

Music for this episode is licensed from https://audiojungle.net. 

Subscribe to Suffer the Little Children:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/suffer-the-little-children/id1499010711
Google Podcasts: https://playmusic.app.goo.gl/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&isi=691797987&ius=googleplaymusic&apn=com.google.android.music&link=https://play.google.com/music/m/I5mx3lacxpdkhssmk2n22csf32u?t%3DSuffer_the_Little_Children%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/suffer-the-little-children 
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/suffer-the-little-children/PC:61848?part=PC:61848&corr=podcast_organic_external_site&TID=Brand:POC:PC61848:podcast_organic_external_site
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0w98Tpd3710BZ0u036T1KE
iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/77891101/ 
...or on your favorite podcast listening platform.

If you see something, say something. https://childhelp.org

Suffer the Little Children centers on the stories of children lost to abuse and murder, aiming to restore their narratives and dignity beyond the headlines. This podcast meticulously details individual cases, often weaving in the perspectives of surviving family members and advocates to create a fuller, more human picture of each tragedy. The host approaches these difficult subjects with a commitment to factual clarity and a deep sense of respect, ensuring the victims are remembered as people, not just statistics. Listeners will hear detailed examinations of systemic failures, legal proceedings, and the long-term impact on communities, framed within broader discussions about child welfare and protection. It is a challenging but necessary listen, designed to foster awareness and understanding rather than sensationalism. By dedicating each episode to a specific child's story, the Suffer the Little Children podcast creates a space for remembrance and reflection that is both sobering and vital. The content naturally intersects with societal, cultural, and scientific aspects of how such crimes are perceived and addressed.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Suffer the Little Children
Podcast Episodes
Episode 187: Arianna Starkey (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:24
Last week, I told you the story of two-year-old Arianna Starkey, whose father, Austin Starkey, failed to protect her from his homicidal girlfriend, Destani Neel. Both Austin and Destani were sentenced to prison for their…
Episode 186: Arianna Starkey (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:05
Note: I'm honored to release this episode on what would be Arianna's sixth birthday.On January 8, 2021, 27-year-old Destani Neel called 911, reporting that her boyfriend’s daughter was having trouble breathing. Although…
Episode 185: Preventing Childhood Drownings (with Christi Brown) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:26
From time to time, instead of covering an individual child’s story, I tackle a broader topic, such as my past episodes about hot car deaths and medical child abuse. While the topic of today’s episode doesn’t necessarily…
Episode 184: Kinsleigh Welty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:51
When Indianapolis police responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive child on April 9, 2024, they couldn’t have guessed the horrific circumstances of the victim’s life and death. 5-year-old Kinsleigh Welty, who weighed o…
Episode 183: Fallon Fridley Updates (with Kristin Fridley) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:13:24
In Episode 102, I told you the story of two-year-old Fallon Fridley, a precious little girl in Georgia whose babysitter, a close family friend, tortured and killed her in December 2020. The attack was caught on the babys…
Bonus Minisode #1: Keigan O'Brien (Formerly Patreon exclusive) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:07
*This minisode, formerly available only to Patreon subscribers, was originally released on May 27, 2021. Since I'm no longer creating these, I thought I'd release them once in a while for all my listeners to enjoy. I apo…
Episode 182: National Children's Alliance (with Teresa Huizar) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:14
The National Children's Alliance (or NCA) is a Washington, D.C.-based network of almost 1,000 Children’s Advocacy Centers (or CACs) across the United States. These centers offer crucial services to children affected by a…
(Re-Release) Episode 141: Cali Anderson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:44
(Today would be Cali's 12th birthday, so I'm re-releasing this episode in her honor.)On May 15, 2018, police responded to a self-storage facility in Sacramento, California, where, in one of the storage units, sat a box c…
Episode 181: Vayda Vasquez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:07
When Vayda Vasquez was a month away from turning two, her custodial maternal grandma trusted her overnight with a long-time family friend, Kellie Barthel. The following morning, after several 911 calls from Kellie’s resi…
Episode 180: The West Memphis Three (An Interview with Dan Stidham) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43:44
On the evening of May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—went missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. The next day, in a nearby wooded area, the boys were found brutally mur…