Summer Marie Phelps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2006 developmentally disabled Summer Phelps went to stay with her father Jon and stepmother Andriana. Jon said that Summer had bad habits which included peeing in her pants and doing harm to herself.

 

March 10 2007 Jon and Andriana woke up to find out that Summer had wet herself and the floor.

Jon took a drive with Summer to talk about cleaning up her messes and how to be a better little girl. When they return Summer began to clean up her pants and her mess. Andriana was yelling at Summer my house “my rules you aren't at your mommy's house anymore.” After letting Summer clean her wet clothes for nine hours, Andriana pushed summer into a dirty tub to take a bath. Next time Andriana look she said that Summer was under the water with her dirty clothes on her face.  Summer was not breathing. Adriana allegedly tried to perform CPR "using her hands and feet."Jonathan came into assist but at one point left the room to go have a cigarette. While trying to revive Summer Adriana reportedly said, "We might have killed her."

Jonathan Lytle took his daughter to Deaconess Medical Center where she was pronounced dead shortly after she arrived. She was bruised from head to toe and had varying degrees of bruising that revealed a potentially long term cycle of abuse. Doctors and nurses informed investigators as soon as they arrived that Summer had been abused. Nurses who were attending to the child went into the room to help and almost universally came out crying. Jonathan and Andriana were arrested. When police examined Summer they found bruises in various stages of healing, bite marks, a foot print the middle of her chest, swollen face and forehead.

Summer was made to wear a shock collar, which is typically used for dogs, in her parents’ attempts to discipline her and that is not even nearly the worst of it. Jon and Adriana both admitted to using a dog shock collar on Summer as well torturing her with lack of food and sleep. They also admitted to spanking Summer with a belt. Adriana also admitted to slapping and biting Summer because Summer kicked her. Adriana admitted to the police that Summer looked like an abused child.

 

The official cause of Summer's death has been revised by the medical examiner's office. The cause is now "bilateral diffused bronchopneumonia, due to nearly drowning in a bathtub." Officials say a contributing factor was "cumulative blood loss due to multiple non-accidental blunt force injuries.

Jon Lytle was found guilty of homicide by abuse. The jury also found him guilty of aggravated circumstances that could keep him in prison for almost the rest of his life.  Jon Lytle was sentenced to 75 years in prison. This was the longest homicide by abuse sentence in history of Washington State. Adriana was sentenced to 62 1/2 years.