In the classic fairy tale Cinderella, the titular character suffers abuse at the hands of her evil stepmother before eventually finding a happy ending with her prince. In real life, not every child gets their happy ending. Many children are too young to report their abuse, and suffer for months and years at the hands of the people who are meant to care for them. And some are killed in the most heinous ways.
This list focuses on the children whose lives ended too soon. Here are 20 stepparents who killed their stepchildren.
Stepparents Who Killed Their Stepchildren,
Stepdad Charged with Murder of Stepson 14 Years After His Disappearance
In 2002, Tieray D. Jones took his two-year-old stepson, Jahi Turner, to a San Diego playground, and the boy never returned. Jones told police he left the toddler alone for 15 minutes to grab a soda, and when he went back the child was gone. In April 2016, Jones was arrested for the boy's murder.
Jahi's body has never been found, and the San Diego Police Department did not disclose what evidence led to Jones' arrest.
A Family Fight Turns Into the Shooting Death of 17-year-old Stepson
In the early hours of March 28, 2016, an argument between mother and son turned deadly when the stepfather stepped in with a shotgun. Felix Antonio Nieves, 17, was killed after he was shot two times with his stepfather's 12-gauge shotgun.
Nieves's stepfather, George Coryell, shot the teenager after he grabbed his mother's stun gun from her and used it on her. He was arrested on first-degree murder charges following the dispute.
Stepfather Rapes and Murders 3-year-old Stepdaughter
Orlando, Florida, resident Pascal Kaufmann was babysitting his three-year-old stepdaughter, Charlie Brame, when she suffered fatal head injuries. The 19-year-old had only been married to Charlie's mother for a week when the child was killed at his hands. Medical examination showed that the toddler had recent signs of sexual assault and severe brain trauma.
Prior to the girl's death, her father warned Charlie's mother not to leave the child alone with Kaufmann. Charlie's father was worried for his daughter's safety after Kaufmann spanked her.
Stepmother Rapes and Kills 2-year-old Stepdaughter
Renee King sexually assaulted two-year-old toddler, Lily Furneaux-Wolfenbarger, and slammed her head against the floor in November 2010 while her father was at work. The girl's head was slammed into the ground at least 20 times by her stepmother, killing her.
When Lily was taken to the hospital, her father told her birth mother, Lauren Furneaux, that Renee had fallen on her in the shower. In February 2015, a jury found King guilty of murder and sentenced her to life in prison. The prosecution explained King killed Lily because she had "acted up".
Child Scalded to Death by Stepdad
A 17-month-old child suffered third-degree burns while taking a bath in his Chicago home. Noah Rudder was in the care of his stepfather, Gregory D. Miles, when the injuries happened, and Miles failed to seek medical help for the child.
For hours Noah sat in agony as his stepfather surfed the internet for ways to treat severe burns with ointment. Noah was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Miles was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, manslaughter, and endangering the life of a child.
Missing Girl Was Dismembered by Stepmother
Zahra Baker was reported missing from her Hickory, North Carolina, home on October 9, 2010. A month later, the 10-year-old's dismembered remains were found. The girl, who was disabled and deaf, was murdered by her stepmother, Elisa Baker.
Elisa confessed to police, explaining that Zahra actually died two weeks before she reported her missing. She dismembered her body to conceal Zahra's identity. In September 2011, Elisa pled guilty and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Adrian Jones Killed by Stepmom and Fed to Pig
In Kansas City, seven-year-old Adrian Jones went missing in September 2015. In January of this year, his remains were found in a barn on their property. The young boy had suffered abuse at the hands of his father, Michael, and stepmom, Heather, for months before his disappearance. He was eventually killed and fed to the pigs on their farm. Both parents were arrested, but denied the murder allegations.
Boy Beaten to Death Made Failed Attempts to Call for Help
In April 2012, 10-year-old Buffalo, New York, native Abdifatah Mohamud was tied up by his stepfather, Ali Mohamad Mohamud, had a sock stuffed into his mouth, was duct-taped, and beaten to death. The boy died from over 70 blows to his body from a rolling pin.
Abdifatah allegedly called 911 at least eight times over the course of two years to report the abuse, but the abuse continued. The stepfather was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for the murder.
Stepmother Burns Stepson in Bath as Punishment
Anna Ritchie held her four-year-old stepson, Austin, in scalding hot bath water for at least 25 minutes. When she removed him from the water, his body was so severely burned that his skin was hanging from his body. After, the stepmother put the boy in pajamas and put him to bed.
The child allegedly cried in pain throughout the night, but Anna ignored him and told her husband to as well. The next day, the boy was dead. Authorities stated the boy most likely would have survived from his injuries had he been hospitalized.
Girl is "Run to Death" by Stepmother as Punishment
When third-grader Savannah Hardin ate a candy bar on the bus on the way home from school, her stepmom, Jessica Mae Hardin, was not happy. To discipline the young girl, Jessica Mae's mother forced Savannah to run in place for three hours. Jessica Mae was aware of the strict punishment, but did nothing to stop it.
Savannah collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. She died from severe dehydration. Both Jessica Mae and her mother were arrested and charged with the girl's murder.