Juvenile justice deaths

Eight youths have died in the custody of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice since 2000:

• Michael Wiltsie, 12, died Feb. 5, 2000, at a DJJ youth camp, Camp E-Kel-Etu in Marion County. Investigations concluded Michael, who weighed only 66 pounds, died of asphyxia after being held in a ''full-body restraint'' by a counselor who weighed over 300 pounds. While being held by the counselor, Michael yelled several times that he could not breathe. A death review said the counselor believed Michael was ``playing possum.''

• Anthony Dumas, 15, died Oct. 14, 2000. On June 12, 2000, he hanged himself with a leather belt from his bunk bed at the Lippman runaway shelter in Oakland Park. Police reports say three staff members on duty that night all failed to cut him down from the bed, and one snapped pictures of the teen with an instant camera. Anthony was not released from his noose until police arrived. He died after being in a coma for four months.

• Shawn D. Smith, 13, died Oct. 30, 2001, at the Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Smith was found with a sheet tied to his neck and to the door of his cell. He was supposed to be on ''close watch'' -- requiring officers to observe him ever five minutes -- as a suicide risk.

• Daniel 'Danny' Matthews, 17, died March 31, 2003, at the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in St. Petersburg. Danny died of blunt trauma to the head after a detention officer, a noncertified trainee, mistakenly opened the cell door of another youth, who punched Danny twice, causing him to hit his head.

• Omar Paisley, 17, died June 9, 2003, at the Miami Juvenile Detention Center of a ruptured appendix that went untreated. Omar had complained to nurses and guards for three days that he was sick and in excruciating abdominal pain. Two nurses, who have been charged with third-degree murder, failed to treat him, and officers waited days before summoning help. Records show some of the officers and nurses thought Omar was faking.

• Willie Durden, 17, died Oct. 13, 2005, at the privately managed Cypress Creek Juvenile Offender Correctional Center in Lecanto, in Citrus County. An autopsy concluded Willie died of ventricular arrhythmia, due to an enlarged and diseased heart. A recent report says guards waited about 20 minutes after discovering the limp teen before calling 911 and beginning CPR. A guard told investigators he waited to begin CPR because teens sometimes ``play pranks.''

• Martin Lee Anderson, 14, died Jan. 6, 2006, at a Pensacola hospital one day after guards at the Bay County Sheriff's Office Boot Camp punched, kneed, and applied pressure to his head in an attempt to force him to continue running laps. An autopsy ordered by a special prosecutor concluded Martin died of asphyxia after guards covered his mouth and shoved ammonia capsules up his nose. A use-of-force report said the guards had thought Martin was malingering.

• Dillon Tyler Peak, 13, died June 17, 2006, after becoming ill at the Peace River Outward Bound wilderness camp in DeSoto County. Officials say Dillon apparently died of a severe case of encephalitis. The death remains under investigation.

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