Joseph Wayne Wallace (July 29, 1989 – April 19, 1993) was a three-year-old boy who was murdered by his mother in their

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

apartment in 1993. Wallace's mother, Amanda Wallace (July 24, 1965 – August 3, 1997), was known to be mentally ill. Despite this, Joseph and his younger brother Joshua were removed from a

foster family Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family memb ...

and returned to Amanda, who killed Joseph with an electrical cord. The circumstances of Wallace's death and the ensuing public outcry precipitated large changes in the Illinois child welfare system and the Cook County juvenile court. In June 1996, Amanda Wallace was convicted of her son's murder. She avoided the death penalty which had been sought by the state of Illinois and was instead sentenced to life imprisonment. Amanda died from

suicide by hanging Suicide by hanging is the intentional killing of oneself (suicide) via suspension from an anchor-point such as an overhead beam or hook, by a rope or cord or by jumping from a height with a noose around the neck. Hanging is often considered t ...

in her prison cell on August 3, 1997. Joshua, the only surviving son of Wallace, spent years stuck in the child welfare system. Shortly after Joseph's death Joshua began to display significant emotional and behavioral outbursts, either from witnessing his brother's murder or the continued disruption in his placements. From 1993 to 1995, Joshua lived in the care of Erma and Phillip Lee in

Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...

. By May 1995, Joshua was again removed from his only long-term home placement over claims the Lees sought to exploit Joshua for larger state payments. Joshua was adopted by Illinois resident Maria Travis in August 1997. Following his adoption, Joshua's name was legally changed to Joshua Travis. , Joshua resides in

Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, with a small southern portion in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village was originally designed as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II. ...

References

1993 deaths 1993 in Chicago 1993 murders in the United States April 1993 crimes in the United States Child abuse resulting in death Deaths by person in Illinois History of Chicago Incidents of violence against boys Filicides in the United States Child murder in the United States People from Chicago People murdered in Illinois Place of birth missing {{US-crime-bio-stub

See also

References