US EditionA boy likely died from drinking too much olive brine. A Colorado county tried to make the suspicious case disappear
- Isaiah Stark, a 7-year-old boy, died on February 18, 2020, in Grand County, Colorado, likely from ingesting excessive sodium via olive brine.
- Isaiah was malnourished, dehydrated, and had compromised kidney function, making him vulnerable to fatal sodium levels caused by prerenal azotemia from dehydration.
- Multiple investigations revealed suspicious circumstances, delayed child abuse reporting, and concerns that officials in Grand County neglected standard death investigation procedures.
- Despite findings of fatal medical neglect by Jefferson County Human Services and the Child Fatality Review Team stating the death was "needless and could have been prevented," the local district attorney declined prosecution twice due to insufficient evidence.
- The child protection ombudsman expressed frustration over unanswered questions and systemic failures, highlighting risks including homeschooling, lack of resources, and conflicts of interest in small communities.
17 Articles
17 Articles
State whistleblower flags death of local child: ‘We have been denied answers’
Jonathan and Elizabeth Stark arrived at a park outside Granby on a late-April day in 2020 to meet with Grand County’s assistant coroner and a sheriff’s investigator. Their conversation, captured on a body-worn camera, concerned the investigation into the Feb. 18 death of their 7-year-old son, Isaiah. The cause and circumstances of the boy’s death were deeply unusual. Isaiah died from ingesting too much sodium, the coroner found, likely due to dr…
A boy likely died from drinking too much olive brine. A Colorado county tried to make the case disappear.
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS — Jonathan and Elizabeth Stark arrived at a park outside Granby, Colorado, on a late-April day in 2020 to meet with Grand County’s assistant coroner and a sheriff’s investigator. Their conversation, captured on a body-worn camera, concerned the investigation into the Feb. 18 death of their 7-year-old son, Isaiah. The cause and circumstances of the boy’s death were deeply unusual. Isaiah died from ingesting too much sodium, th…
The Reporter
A boy likely died from drinking too much olive brine. A Colorado county tried to make the suspicious case disappear
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS — Jonathan and Elizabeth Stark arrived at a park outside Granby, Colorado, on a late-April day in 2020 to meet with Grand County’s assistant coroner and a sheriff’s investigator. Their conversation, captured on a body-worn camera, concerned the investigation into the Feb. 18 death of their 7-year-old son, Isaiah. The cause and circumstances of the boy’s death were deeply unusual. Isaiah died from ingesting too much sodium, th…
A Colorado boy likely died from drinking too much olive brine. Grand County tried to make the suspicious case disappear.
The Denver Post investigates 7-year-old Isaiah Stark's death, likely from drinking olive brine as punishment by parents Jonathan and Elizabeth Stark. Grand County, Colorado swept the child's death under the rug.
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