Kendrea Johnson, 6, was a precious little girl in foster care in Minneapolis. She had been evaluated and diagnosed with mood disorders and exhibited homicidal and suicidal tendencies. At school and at her foster home, she had drawn pictures of violence and of a child hanging from a rope. Tragically her little body was found hanging from the ceiling of her bedroom by a jump rope. There was a suicide note written in purple marker that read, “I’m sorry. I’m sad for what I do.”
By all accounts Kendra was a normal and happy child before she was placed in foster care. According to a social worker, Kendra was a problem child who exhibited aggressive behavior. The social worker brought up an episode where Kendra threatened to kill her foster mother with a screwdriver. The worker stated that we had a “difficult time trying to keep her safe.” But Kendra’s family members have suspicions that the young girl did not commit suicide. Her grandmother Mary Lee Broadus, 45, said that “somebody did it.”
Police are investigating all possible angles of this tragic death, including the belief that the knot used to tie the rope was too sophisticated for a 6-year-old. However, during the autopsy it was discovered that she had healed neck scars that could indicate there was another suicide attempt at some point. Kendrea’s foster parents, Tannise and Adrea Nawaqavou, were also caring for her brother and a developmentally challenged 15-year-old. They had planned to adopt Kendra before her death.
