REMEMBERING ZACHARIAH

Zachariah Vaughn Yancey was born on May 18, 2009. He was only 12 weeks old when he died. Zachariah was a baby brother to Aiden and part of a large extended family that included grandparents, great grandparents, a great great grandfather, aunts and uncles. His obituary named the many relatives who survived him, giving us a glimpse of the family into which this little boy had been born. At 12 weeks old, Zachariah was still discovering everything around him. He should have had years to grow alongside his older brother. There should have been first words, first steps, birthdays, school pictures and countless ordinary moments that his family never had the opportunity to experience with him. Instead, Zachariah's life ended before he reached three months old.

ZACHARIAH'S STORY

On August 10, 2009, Zachariah was home with his father, Brandon Yancey Jr., while his mother, Danielle Yancey, was at work. Later that day, Zachariah began having difficulty breathing and Brandon called 911. At the hospital, doctors discovered injuries that could not be explained by a simple accident. Zachariah had three healing rib fractures. Doctors also found fluid, swelling and bleeding around his brain and hemorrhaging in both eyes. The healing fractures were especially significant. They showed that Zachariah had been injured before the medical emergency that brought him to the hospital. Brandon initially offered another explanation for what had happened. He told investigators that he had fallen asleep while holding his swaddled son and later awoke on top of him after hearing Zachariah gasping for air. Brandon also told investigators that Zachariah had been unusually fussy that afternoon. He said that when he placed the baby in his bassinet, Zachariah screamed, so he picked him back up and attempted to comfort him. But Zachariah's injuries did not match the explanation investigators had been given. Police went to the Arvada home where Zachariah had been staying. Officers described troubling conditions inside. Among what they reported seeing was a dead mouse in a trap and a hunting knife accessible to Zachariah's two year old brother. Meanwhile, Zachariah remained critically injured. The following day, August 11, 2009, his family made the devastating decision to remove him from life support. Zachariah died approximately an hour later. He was 12 weeks old.

WARNING SIGNS & SYSTEM FAILURES

There were concerns involving Zachariah's family before he was even born. In 2008, Jefferson County Human Services received a report alleging that Danielle Yancey was neglecting her older child and raising him in an unsafe environment. The allegations were ultimately classified as unfounded. However, according to records later reported about Zachariah's case, the social worker interviewed Danielle at county offices rather than visiting the home and did not fully investigate all of the concerns that had been reported. There were also signs of instability and domestic conflict within Zachariah's family. Investigators learned that Danielle had previously sought a restraining order against Brandon. The couple and their children had moved between relatives' homes and at times lived together and at other times separately. By the time Zachariah reached the hospital in August 2009, his body provided another warning that something had happened before that day. Three of his ribs were already healing from previous fractures. Zachariah was only a baby. He could not tell anyone how those ribs had been broken. He could not explain whether he was frightened or in pain. He depended entirely upon the adults and systems around him to recognize when he was unsafe. By the time the full extent of Zachariah's injuries was discovered, it was too late to save him.

JUSTICE FOR ZACHARIAH

Following Zachariah's death, the investigation focused on his father, Brandon Yancey Jr. The case ultimately ended with Brandon pleading guilty to child abuse resulting in death. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Brandon Yancey Jr.

Relationship to Zachariah: Father

Conviction: Child abuse resulting in death

Sentence: 21 years in prison

FOREVER REMEMBERED

Zachariah Vaughn Yancey lived for only 12 weeks. That is such a small amount of time to leave behind a record of who a person was. The public records tell us about injuries, investigators, social workers and a criminal case. His obituary tells us something different. It tells us that Zachariah belonged to a family. He had an older brother named Aiden. He had grandparents, great grandparents, a great great grandfather, aunts and uncles whose names became part of the record left behind after his death. Zachariah should have had the opportunity to know them. He should have grown beside his brother. At 12 weeks old, his story should have barely begun. Instead, the injuries discovered during the final days of his life became much of what the world would ever know about him. We choose to remember something more. Before there was an investigation, there was Zachariah. A baby boy. A little brother. A child at the very beginning of his life who deserved tenderness, protection and the opportunity to grow. Abuse Angels remembers Zachariah Vaughn Yancey, whose 12 weeks of life mattered and whose name deserves to remain long after the circumstances of his death. We remember Zachariah. We speak his name. And Zachariah Vaughn Yancey will not be forgotten.