Eli Riggan

Photo of a round-faced boy with Down syndrome, wearing a blue shirt and cupcake party hat. He has soft brown hair and fair skin. Name: Eli Ezekiel Riggan.
Died: November 25, 2023.
Age at death: 11.
Cause of death: Pressure sores, sepsis, kidney failure.
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Disability: Unspecified; mobility impaired.

Details:
Emergency services were summoned to Eli’s home on a call for an unresponsive child, but they found him dead. An autopsy report showed that he had been neglected; the medical examiner found multiple pressure sores that had become septic, causing kidney failure and killing Eli.

Case Status:
Ariel Lea Horn (Mother), charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
Charles Jackson McClellan Jr. (Mother’s boyfriend), charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.

Sources:
Tucson mom, boyfriend arrested in death of disabled boy, 11
Police: Special needs boy dies from neglect in Tucson
Media Release: Child Abuse Homicide Arrest – 900 Block of E. Limberlost Dr.
Gofundme: 11 year old Eli Riggan’s Funeral Expenses