Police say they were called to the DiStasio residence on Thursday morning on reports that smoke was coming from the apartment. Expecting to find a fire in the home, authorities instead discovered the deceased body of the autistic four-year-old child. To their horror, the child had been burned alive in the bathtub. Police say that his arms were bound behind his back, and a plastic bag was tired around his head. A bottle of cooking oil was also found in the bathroom.
A witness reportedly told police that "a frazzled woman" jumped from a window of the apartment, fleeing from the scene before authorities arrived. That "frazzled" woman was, of course, identified as the slain child's 23-year-old mother. Amelia DiStasio was arrested later in the day, Thursday, when she was spotted walking down a street.
Mental illness could play a role in this absolutely shocking case. Her father claims that she suffers from bipolar disorder, and that she needs help instead of jail. Of course, if her mental condition was such a concern, it seems that her child would have been given help prior to being burned alive at his own mother's hands. Nonetheless, authorities have acknowledged that the Wisconsin mom's internet searches may indicate a possible motive in the slaying of her child, as well as show evidence of possible mental instability. DiStasio's internet searches involved looking for ways to kill cannibals. Perhaps not by coincidence, her internet history showed that she had read a forum that discussed killing cannibals by burning them.
Whether or not mental illness had anything to do with this case, a child is still dead. The four-year-old autistic child posed no threat whatsoever to his mother, and clearly did no wrong at such a young age. Yet this innocent child suffered a fate so horrifying and torturous. This child's final moments of life were filled with absolute terror and an unimaginable amount of pain -- not to mention the confusion of this all being committed by the woman expected to love and nurture him. Will this child have justice?