On the evening of May 18, 2023, the mother, Rebecca Gussage-Johnston, strapped her 2-year-old son Eli Rivera Johnston to a booster seat as punishment for "acting out" and left him confined there for approximately 15 hours until about 11:00 a.m. on May 19. The next morning, she found the child flipped over in the chair, suffering from seizures and shaking uncontrollably. Despite having a working cell phone, Gussage-Johnston did not seek medical assistance. The child stopped breathing around 2:30 p.m. according to the mother's account. When the biological father visited the home around 8:00 p.m. that evening, he texted the paternal aunt to come, and upon her arrival she discovered the child unresponsive in a bassinet and called 911. First responders found the child with rigor mortis present, trauma to his forehead, and various injuries to his body; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner determined the manner of death to be homicide due to severe neglect. Gussage-Johnston was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse, child neglect, and later first-degree murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) explicitly lists "Inadequate Supervision" as a verified finding against the mother in the CPI investigation findings table.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states that "the toddler had what appeared to be trauma to his forehead and various other injuries to his body." The HCSO press release confirms "the child had sustained injuries to several parts of its body." The mother was charged with aggravated child abuse. However, the described mechanism of harm is confinement to a booster seat and subsequent seizures (the Kansas City Star reports the child was found "flipped over in the chair 'suffer[ing] from seizures and shaking uncontrollably'"), not direct physical strikes. The injuries are documented, but whether they were directly inflicted through physical violence or resulted from the forced confinement and resulting medical distress remains unclear.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) explicitly lists "Medical Neglect" as a verified finding against the mother. Multiple news sources corroborate this, with the HCSO press release stating: "Even though Gussage-Johnston possessed a working cell phone, she failed to seek medical assistance for nearly 24 hours."
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) states: "The first investigation occurred in 2020, when the mother tested positive for marijuana at the birth of her first child." The deceased child was the mother's first child, born 11/15/2020. The mother testing positive for marijuana at birth implies prenatal marijuana exposure for the child, which is a standard trigger for CPS investigation at delivery.
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Multiple sources describe prolonged, deliberately cruel treatment. The Kansas City Star article states: "Gussage-Johnston put her son in the seat the evening of May 18 and left him there until about 11 a.m. the next day" — approximately 15 hours of confinement as punishment. The HCSO press release states: "The child was confined to a chair for an extended period without receiving any care or attention from Gussage-Johnston." The fatality report verified "Bizarre Punishment" against the mother. This constitutes deliberate confinement and restraint extending well beyond typical physical abuse or neglect.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The biological mother, Rebecca Gussage-Johnston, is directly responsible for the child's death. The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) identifies the mother as the responsible caregiver for all verified findings including Death, Bizarre Punishment, Medical Neglect, Environmental Hazards, and Inadequate Supervision. She was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse, child neglect, and first-degree murder.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) states: "There are two prior investigations concerning the family. The first investigation occurred in 2020, when the mother tested positive for marijuana at the birth of her first child." A second prior investigation is also referenced, though its details are in a corrupted OCR section of the document.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) states: "In May 2023 law enforcement arrested the mother on charges of aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm. Additional charges of first-degree murder were later added." The HCSO press release confirms: "Gussage-Johnston was initially arrested on May 19 for aggravated child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and child neglect... Gussage-Johnston is now facing additional charges of Murder in the First Degree while Engaged in Aggravated Child Abuse."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report (2023-166825.pdf) states: "The first investigation occurred in 2020, when the mother tested positive for marijuana at the birth of her first child." Additionally, the CPI investigation for this incident included "Substance Misuse – Illicit Drugs" as an investigated allegation (though it was "Not Substantiated"). The mother's prior marijuana use at birth is a referenced instance of substance use by the caregiver.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from comparing the sources. First, the mother's initial account to law enforcement was inconsistent with later evidence: the fatality report states she told police "the toddler woke between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on May 19th, and he began vomiting and breathing heavily," but news sources reveal she had actually confined him to a booster seat overnight as punishment. Second, the fatality report notes that rigor mortis was present when first responders arrived around 8:00 p.m., indicating the child had been dead for a significant period before anyone called 911. Third, the mother claimed she noticed the child stopped breathing around 2:30 p.m. and performed CPR for approximately 5.5 hours without calling 911. Fourth, the biological father visited the home around 8:00 p.m. but also did not call 911 himself; instead, he texted the paternal aunt without advising her of the child's condition. It was only the paternal aunt — described as having "limited contact with the mother and children" — who finally called 911 after discovering the child unresponsive. The CPI investigation also verified "Environmental Hazards" against the mother, though the specific nature of these hazards is not detailed in the available text.
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