Foster Mom Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Murdering Boy, 10, Who Begged Neighbor to Adopt Him Before His Death

An Indiana foster mom has been sentenced for killing a 10-year-old boy in her care.

Jennifer Wilson was sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended to be served on probation, on Friday, Jan. 17, over the April 2024 death of her foster son Dakota Stevens, according to Law & Crime, NBC Chicago and CBS News.

Wilson, 48, previously pleaded guilty to the charge of reckless homicide in October 2024, the outlets reported.

Authorities initially responded to a call after 3:30 p.m. local time regarding an “unresponsive” child at a home in Valparaiso, Law & Crime previously reported. The boy was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Porter County Sheriff’s Office said in a prior press release obtained by PEOPLE.

After police noted bruising on Stevens’ neck and chest at the scene of the crime, Wilson admitted to lying on top of the boy for five minutes for “acting bad,” WGN, NBC Chicago and CBS Chicago reported in April, citing a probable cause affidavit.

Half an hour before emergency service arrived, Stevens reportedly ran to a neighbor’s house and asked them to adopt him, the outlets added.

Wilson was later arrested over Stevens’ death in Michigan in July 2024, after a license plate camera detected her vehicle, according to a press release from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office previously obtained by PEOPLE.

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According to authorities, Stevens was 4 foot 10 inches tall and weighed 90 pounds at the time of his death. Wilson, meanwhile, was 4 foot 11 inches and weighed 340 pounds, per Law & Crime.