North Dakota – In a deeply disturbing case out of North Dakota, a 3-year-old autistic girl died after enduring months of severe abuse from her foster parents, a 44-year-old woman identified as Jamie J. and a 62-year-old man identified as Raymond J. Both have been charged with multiple counts, including murder and child abuse, following the girl’s death in March. Court documents describe relentless physical punishment that investigators say was inflicted simply because the couple became “frustrated” with the child’s autistic behavior.
Authorities responded to the couple’s home on March 19 after Jamie called 911 to report the toddler was unresponsive. The child was rushed to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. An autopsy confirmed that she died from blunt force trauma to the head. Jamie initially claimed the child had fallen down the stairs days earlier and suffered a head injury. However, detectives from the police department and the sheriff’s office uncovered a different reality through text messages, witness interviews, and disturbing camera footage.
Investigators found that the young girl had been repeatedly subjected to violent punishment, often over minor frustrations such as “chewing food too long” or crying. The child was forced to sleep on a cot and was regularly beaten by Jamie as punishment. “You need to be careful with my mom,” one of the other children living in the house told police. That child described Jamie as the “meanest one,” noting how she regularly struck and dragged the girl by her hair.
The foster mother reportedly texted a friend admitting to her growing resentment toward the child. “Honestly, if I knew how she was, I might not have taken her,” she wrote. In other texts, she complained about the child’s behavior, saying, “The crying and screaming makes me a nervous wreck… If we tell her no about something or tell her to go sit down. All hell breaks loose.” Surveillance footage revealed chilling moments in which Jamie was seen covering the girl’s mouth while she cried, telling her to “shut up,” yanking her by the hair, and slamming her into furniture and walls. She was also seen beating the girl with a spoon and delivering closed-fist punches to her face and body.
During one especially violent incident, the girl reportedly passed out after a beating. Jamie then used an ice pack in an effort to revive her, according to one of the children. Raymond was described by the children as the “nicer one,” but they told investigators he often witnessed the beatings and did nothing to stop them. He was also known to kick the child, though not as severely as his wife. In text conversations with her husband, Jamie downplayed the abuse. In one exchange, she casually joked about the child losing consciousness: “Earlier she held her breath… Till I shook her around,” she wrote. “She cried then.” In another message, she referred to the girl’s behavior as a “total brat move” and complained about how difficult she was to manage.
Authorities say the couple became overwhelmed by the girl’s autistic behaviors and lashed out repeatedly in ways that ultimately led to her death. The other children living in the home were instrumental in helping police build the case, detailing the ongoing violence they witnessed for weeks. The couple now face a series of serious charges, including felony murder, child abuse, domestic violence resulting in serious injury to a child under 12, and murder during the commission of a crime against a child victim. Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 24. As the investigation continues, the tragic death of this young girl underscores the dangers children can face even in environments meant to protect them.
