Adoptive Mom Went Gambling Hours After Autistic Son Died Of Starvation, Court Told

The adoptive mother of a 15-year-old Vancouver boy, who had died of starvation and neglect, spent hours in a casino shortly after the teen boy's death, court records have shown.

Karreon Franks died on Nov. 27, 2020, roughly 14 minutes after his adoptive mother Felicia Adams brought him to the emergency room of a hospital.

Medical examination revealed that Karreon weighed only 61 pounds and had scars on his neck. His medical report also indicated abnormal hair growth as well as abdominal lesions most likely caused by starvation.

Court documents indicated that the teenager was legally blind. He was also severely autistic and non-verbal, reported KOIN 6.

Although investigators ruled out Karreon's death a homicide, no arrests have been made. No charges have been filed, either.

Investigation into his death began in early December after medical examiners expressed concerns in his autopsy report, according to Vancouver police spokesperson Kim Kapp.

It was found that a week prior to Karreon's death, Washington Child Protective Services opened an investigation on Adams and her husband Jesse Franks. The said probe was prompted by reports claiming that the couple punished their children by restricting their food intake, KGW8 quoted the search warrant as saying.

Washington Child Protective Services opened a separate investigation after the boy's death as the two other children in the household reported that they had also been physically disciplined and punished by restricting their food intake.

The two children were Karreon's brothers. The couple adopted them from Adams' sister. After the incident, the two were removed from Adams' home and were taken into protective custody.

It was later found that Adams and her husband Jesse had been spending a substantial amount of money on gambling.

"I later received video surveillance of Felicia Adams and Jesse Franks at Ilani Casino… which showed that Felicia Adams arrived at Ilani Casino approximately three hours after Karreon died to play slots," Ripp wrote in the court records as per KOIN 6.

Vancouver police said that the investigation is ongoing.