Five-year-old Dennis Vaughan Jr. was pronounced dead upon arrival at an area hospital on Christmas Eve of 2019. During this time, he had been left in the charge of his grandmother by the New Hampshire courts system despite her history of violence and abuse toward her own children. Between 2017 and 2019, over twenty reports of abuse were made to the Division of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in regards to Dennis and his siblings, but law enforcement and case workers alike denied to follow procedural protocol or take the reports seriously. 

In the wake of Dennis's tragic murder, his mother continues to fight for the justice he rightfully deserves as his case has not garnered the traction or media attention that other child murders within the state have. 

As part of this process and in remembrance of Dennis, we are petitioning for the review and reform of DCYF practices so that other children are not failed in the same way that Dennis Vaughan Jr. was. 

More information about Dennis's case can be found here: https://coldcasene.org/f/dennis-vaughan-jr