LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nearly four years after 7-year-old Ja'Ceon Terry died during a physical restraint at a foster care psychiatric treatment facility, Louisville prosecutors have indicted three staff members on second-degree manslaughter charges, according to the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.

On July 17, 2022, employees Deborah Francis and Jillian Parks held Ja'Ceon in a physical restraint at Brooklawn Child and Family Services until he vomited and lost consciousness. Amanda Whitlow was charged for assisting in restraining the child earlier. The coroner ruled the death a homicide caused by positional asphyxia. The charges carry five to ten years of jail time, with bond set at $15,000 cash for each defendant. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

The delay in bringing charges has drawn criticism from state legislators. "Four years is a ridiculously long amount of time. It's overly lengthy," said former Kentucky state Rep. Attica Scott, who questioned whether the delay reflected how "Black lives ultimately do not seem to matter in these cases." State Sen. Keturah Herron emphasized the importance of ensuring workers have proper training and face consequences "when things go awry."

A spokesperson for the Jefferson Commonwealth's Attorney declined to explain the lengthy delay, citing court rules that limit what information can be disclosed. In 2023, Ja'Ceon's estate and Uspiritus-Brooklawn reached a private settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit. Court records showed that Whitlow testified she had the situation under control before the other staff members intervened. Records obtained by the investigative center revealed that in his final hours, Ja'Ceon was publicly shamed, verbally abused and left alone in his room for nearly six hours. Francis had reportedly told staff earlier that day she "was going to hold" the child "and make him throw up." Whitlow left the restraint before Francis pushed Ja'Ceon so far forward his nose almost touched the floor, with his legs still extended in front of him. All three were suspended days after his death; Francis and Parks were fired about a month later.