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In a quiet hotel room in Middletown, Ohio, horror unfolded. Three women. Two young boys. And one of the most heartbreaking crimes you’ll ever hear.
Five-year-old Alexander Stephens died after being brutally assaulted for nearly 22 hours straight. He was just a child.
He didn’t survive the night. His older friend, six-year-old Damyan, barely made it out alive. Both boys were brought to the hotel by three women.
One of them was Alexander’s own mother — Theresa Hawkins-Stephens, 26. The others? Her friend Rachel Bostian, and Rachel’s 56-year-old mother.
The boys were accused of stealing food.
As punishment, they were wrapped tightly in bed linens. Then the beatings began. Alexander’s body was covered in bruises.
He weighed just 28 pounds when he died. The coroner later confirmed the cause of death: blunt force trauma to the head.
He didn’t stand a chance. Damyan, thankfully, survived. His injuries weren’t life-threatening. But the emotional scars? Those could last forever.
Both Theresa and Rachel were arrested. They were charged with felony assault, murder, and child endangerment.
They each received sentences of 18 years to life in prison. Rachel pled guilty.
Her mother, the oldest of the three, was sentenced to three years for obstructing justice and child endangerment.
The details are unbearable. But this story must be told. Because Alexander deserved better. He should have been playing with toys, not fighting to survive.
He should have been loved, not beaten. He was a child. Hungry, scared, and likely confused. He stole food — probably because it was the only way to eat.
This wasn’t the first time Alexander suffered. His short life was marked by abuse, neglect, and starvation.
And it ended far too soon. We ask ourselves again and again — how can someone do this? How can a mother, of all people, be the reason a child dies?
The truth is harsh: not everyone is meant to be a parent. And not every child gets the love they deserve.
Alexander’s name should never be forgotten. His story should outrage us. It should shake us. It should push us to act, to protect, to speak up.
If you ever suspect a child is being abused — don’t stay silent. Report it. Get involved. You might be the only hope they have.
Rest in peace, little Alexander. You were failed by the people who should have protected you. But your story may save another child. And that matters.
