WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — An 18-month-old boy found dead in a Wyoming home had been removed from his parent’s care a year earlier, court documents indicate.
A petition for removal shows Child Protective Services took Yurik Birkenmeyer on Jan. 11, 2017 after his parents failed to supervise him and respond to his needs. Documents state Yurik was repeatedly subjected to a dangerous sleep environment and was extremely underweight.
“Yurik is approximately six months old and weights (sic) fourteen pounds and four ounces, which does not register on the growth chart with no medical reason to explain this,” the court petition stated.
The toddler was placed in foster care while his parents took part in educational programs and were offered support. Yurik was returned to his parents in October 2017 – five months before his death.