Episode 16: Arabella Parker (Part 1)

On October 10, 2019, emergency medical personnel were summoned to an apartment in Trevorton, Pennsylvania on a report of a 3-year-old having a seizure. Arabella Parker was rushed to the hospital, where doctors immediately suspected child abuse based on the multitude of injuries she suffered, including a head injury so severe that she needed part of her brain removed. Her mother’s boyfriend was arrested almost immediately, but many people suspected her mother was as guilty, if not more so, than he was. After she gave multiple conflicting statements to police, to reporters, and even on The Steve Wilkos Show, Arabella’s mother was also arrested for child endangerment. Both she and her boyfriend saw their charges upgraded to homicide when Arabella died after six weeks on life support. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.This is a story of instability, family drama, chronic child abuse, the utter failure of the system designed to protect children, murder, lies, criminal histories, more family drama, and a precious little girl who lost her life to someone who was supposed to protect her.This is the complex, mind-boggling case of Arabella Parker.Photos related to today's episode can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Visit the podcast's web page at www.sufferthelittlechildrenpod.com. Please help make the show my full-time gig to keep the weekly episodes coming! By supporting me, you'll also access rewards, including a shout-out by name on the podcast and exclusive show merch! This podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Laine. Read other stories like Arabella’s on Suffer the Little Children Blog.Music for this episode was created by Laine using sounds from AudioJungle.net. Subscribe to Suffer the Little Children on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast listening platform.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/suffer-the-little-children--4232884/support.