At the Oklahoma County Detention Center, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell are pictured from top to bottom. The background of the photo features the apartment complex where the couple was residing at the time of their daughter’s death. This image was captured by KOCO.
According to court records obtained by Law&Crime, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell were arrested on Friday and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the tragic death of the young girl.
The Midwest City Police Department’s Investigations Unit received a call from the county medical examiner’s office on August 2, 2024, at around 1:08 p.m., as stated in the probable cause affidavit. The call was in regards to a child who was brought to the emergency room of Saint Anthony’s Midwest Hospital. The victim had been transported in a personal vehicle at approximately 11:28 a.m. and was declared dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
According to the medical professionals who attended to the child, she exhibited indications of rigor mortis and potential internal and external injuries, as reported to the authorities.
According to the police report, Yonko claimed that he, along with Mitchell and their kids, had been residing at the Vista Green apartments situated in the 7000 block of E. Reno Avenue, approximately seven miles away from Oklahoma City. However, the father’s account kept altering from there onwards.
According to the affidavit, Yonko stated that he went to bed at approximately 9 p.m. on August 1st, sharing the same room with Mitchell and the victim, who slept on a small couch. He mentioned that he woke up at around 9 a.m. the next day, when Mitchell informed him that the victim was unresponsive and needed medical attention due to sickness.
According to Yonko, they were taken to the hospital by his “friend” along with Mitchell and the victim. However, he could not provide any information regarding the friend’s name or contact number. Yonko also mentioned that they had been giving the victim crackers and soup as she was possibly suffering from the flu, but they had not taken her to a doctor since she was younger.
After arresting Yonko, the police took him to Midwest City Jail. There, they informed him of his Miranda rights and he reportedly agreed to speak with detectives once more.
According to the police affidavit, Anthony was inconsistent in his statements during the interview. Initially, he claimed that he, Lisa, and the victim were the only ones present in the apartment. However, he later mentioned Lisa’s sister, boyfriend, and a few other children being present when he woke up to Lisa informing him that the victim was unresponsive. Anthony also stated that Lisa had been playing with the victim earlier, but then said that the victim was not moving.
When questioned about his daughter’s malnourished condition, Yonko reportedly stated that she had weighed 50 pounds just a few days before and was in good health. He also claimed to have fed her regularly. However, he could not explain why she had lost so much weight and was severely unhealthy at the time of her death when she weighed only 25 pounds.
According to Yonko, it was his brother who accompanied him and his family to the hospital. He also mentioned that his brother had been living with them at their house.
According to the police report, the brother claimed that Yonko was in a state of panic on the morning of August 2nd and insisted that they take the victim to the hospital. Although he dropped off the parents and the child at the hospital, he drove away because he was afraid and had to get to work.
