On 26 September, 2016, a young mother rushed from a Harlem apartment building carrying her six-year-old son in her arms. The boy was limp, unresponsive. His small body was covered in bruises, welts, and broken bones – evidence of months of brutal abuse. The investigation into what happened would reveal something equally disturbing: a child welfare system that had failed him at every turn, despite five separate reports of abuse.
Sources:
Gothamist, 27 September, 2016 – “NYPD Questioning”
Gothamist, 28 September, 2016 – “Police Arrest Mother”
New York Daily News, 28 September, 2016 – “6 Years Old”
New York Daily News, 29 September, 2016 – “How do You Do That?”
New York Daily News, 29 September, 2016 – “This one Troubles Me”
CBS – 13 WBTW, 30 September, 2016 – “Boy, 6, Who Died”
New York Daily News, 2 October, 2016 – “That Child”
Gothamist, 6 October, 2016 – “De Blaiso Announces”
New York Daily News, 8 October, 2016 – “Tears & Rage”
New York Post, 8 October, 2016 – “Finest Farewell”
New York Post, 9 October, 2016 – “Final Zymere Farewell”
New York Daily News, 11 October, 2016 – “Cruelty of her Ambition”
Associated Press, 13 October, 2016 – “4 Child Welfare”
New York Post, 14 October, 2016 – “Suspensions Just the First Step”
Associated Press, 20 October, 2016 – “Harlem Boy’s Death Ruled a Homicide”
New York Daily News, 28 October, 2016 – “Worked to Death”
New York Daily News, 16 November, 2016 – “No Proof”
New York Daily News, 18 November, 2016 – “Zymere’s Dad”
Gothamist, 12 December, 2016 – “Children’s Services”
The New York Observer, 13 December, 2016 – “City to Appoint”
Gothamist, 14 December, 2016 – “Reports Document”
New York Post, 14 December, 2016 – “ACS Could Have Saved”
New York Post, 15 December, 2016 – “Zymere’s Brief and Brutal Life”
The New York Observer, 23 December, 2016 – “Audit”
New York Daily News, 24 December, 2016 – “Convict Isn’t Zymere’s Dad”
New York Daily News, 27 January, 2017 – “Zymere”
New York Daily News, 1 February, 2017 – “Zymere Suspect”
New York Daily News, 8 February, 2018 – “Zymere Aunts”
Metro – New York, 20 February, 2017 – “Mayor Names”
The New York Observer, 21 February, 2017 – “New Children’s”
Gothamist, 22 September, 2017 – “Rikers Guards”
New York Post, 2 October, 2017 – “ACS Mission”
New York Daily News, 12 December, 2017 – “Number of Foster Kids Plunging”
New York Daily News, 16 February, 2018 – “$275k Deal”
New York Daily News, 17 July, 2018 – “Killer Mom”
The Sun, 2 December, 2019 – “Tortured to Death”
MailOnline, 3 December, 2019 – “Six-Year-Old Killed”
New York Daily News, 4 December, 2019 – “A Death Spiral”
New York Daily News, 5 December, 2019 – “Jury Sees horrid Home”
MailOnline, 10 December, 2019 – “Mother”
MailOnline, 10 December, 2019 – “Revealed”
New York Daily News, 11 December, 2019 – “Zymere’s Torture”
MailOnline, 12 December, 2019 – “I Thought He Was Faking”
New York Daily News, 17 December, 2019 – “Mom”
MailOnline, 18 December, 2019 – “Heartbreaking Video”
New York Daily News, 10 January, 2019 – “Accused Killer”
New York Daily News, 14 January, 2020 – “Convict Zymere’s Monster”
MailOnline, 15 January, 2020 – “Mother’s Boyfriend”
MailOnline, 17 May, 2021 – “I Accept Responsibility”
