abuse and neglect about the family's children to the authorities. School officials claimed that Ame and her siblings came to school filthy. They said Ame often had head lice and once had cat urine on her shoes. The school officials noted that Ame seemed to be the scapegoat of the family. While living in Phoenix, Ame and the other children were supposedly being home-schooled. David Deal, Ame's possible father, was reported living in the back of the family rental home in a tent with his two other children. Of all the children living in the home, Ame was the only one abused. Police claimed that the other children instigated situations to get Ame in trouble. The children were also persuaded to lie about why and how Ame ended up in the trunk to the police. When asked why Ame was treated so badly, it was said, "She was mentally a little slow, but that's it." Witnesses also said the children were often seen wandering the streets until very late at night, with hardly any clothes on. On occasions, they were without diapers or shoes. One neighbor said that he saw babies in highchairs eating in front, outside of the house, late at night. Death On July 12, 2011, police officers were called to Ame Deal's home, where she was found dead in a small footlocker, having suffocated. Ame had been living with her grandmother, Judith Deal, and Cynthia Stoltzmann, 44, the aunt and legal guardian of Ame. Also living there were Cynthia Stoltzmann's daughter, Sammantha, and her son-in-law, John Allen, both 23, and twelve or more children. The family first told the police officers that Ame was playing hide-n-seek and locked herself in the trunk the night before, after the adults went to sleep. They all claimed that they found Ame dead the next day, in the trunk. Police suspected foul play since Ame was found very dirty with bruises on her left leg, since it was in forced contact with the trunk. After being interrogated for a while, Sammantha and John Allen confessed to locking Ame in the trunk, as a form of punishment, because she took a popsicle without permission. Ame was said to be "chronically hungry". Ame, who was 4 feet, 2 inches and 59 pounds, had to be squeezed into the trunk since its dimensions were only 3 feet by 1 foot 2 inches and a