Ame Deal, a 10-year-old girl, was discovered dead in a locked airtight storage bin outside her family's house in Phoenix, Ariz., and despite her relatives' claim that she had accidentally locked herself inside while playing hide-and-seek, the authorities suspect foul play and said she is the victim of child abuse.

Deal died from suffocation on July 12 in a locked airtight plastic storage bin, which is less than 3 feet long, 14 inches wide and about a foot deep.

According to the police, Deal's family members, including her 62-year-old grandmother Judith Deal, 44-year-old aunt and legal guardian Cynthia Stoltzmann, and Stoltzmann's daughter Samantha and son-in-law John Allen, both 23, said that her death was actually the tragic ending of playing a hide-and-seek game that had gone horribly wrong. They said Deal accidentally locked herself inside of an airtight box.

On July 13, Stoltzmann even said on KNXV-TV, an affiliate of CNN, "She was an awesome hider, let me tell you. ... There were places she would squeeze into that I didn't think my dog could squeeze into."

However, the authorities suspect otherwise. They believe she died because of child abuse. Start the slideshow to find out the horrific cruelty Ame was subjected to by her family and how they had tortured the girl before forcibly putting her in the bin that became her coffin.

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Ame Deal
Ame Deal CNN
Ame Deals neighbor described seeing Ame being forced by her family to walk back and forth on the sidewalk barefoot in triple-digit temperatures.
Ame Deal's neighbor described seeing Ame being forced by her family to walk back and forth on the sidewalk barefoot in triple-digit temperatures. CNN
Ame Deals aunt and and legal guardian Cynthia Stoltzmann
On July 13, Stoltzmann even said on KNXV-TV, an affiliate of CNN, "She was an awesome hider, let me tell you. ... There were places she would squeeze into that I didn't think my dog could squeeze into." 1
popsicle
popsicle Reuters
Four family member killed 10-year-old girl
Four adult relatives of 10 year old Ame Deal, who was found suffocated in a storage bin in Arizona July 12, 2011, are shown in this combination of their police booking mugs which were released to Reuters July 28, 2011. Clockwise from left are aunt Cynthia Stoltzman, grandmother Judith Deal, cousin Samantha Allen and her husband John Allen. The relatives were arrested after investigators determined Ame Deal was locked in the container as punishment for taking a Popsicle without permission. Reuters/Phoenix Police Departm
Judith Deal, grandmother of 10 year old Ame Deal
Judith Deal, grandmother of 10 year old Ame Deal Reuters
Cynthia Stoltzman, aunt of 10 year old Ame Deal
Cynthia Stoltzman, aunt of 10 year old Ame Deal Reuters
Samantha Allen, cousin of 10 year old Ame Deal
Samantha Allen, cousin of 10 year old Ame Deal Reuters
John Allen, husband of Samantha Allen who is the cousin of 10 year old Ame Deal
John Allen, husband of Samantha Allen who is the cousin of 10 year old Ame Deal Reuters
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