Manslaughter Charged in Hot Van Death of 20 Year Old Man with Severe Autism

Stacey Strauss of Philadelphia has been charged with manslaughter in the death of  Bryan Nevins, a 20 year old man with severe autism, who was allegedly left  in her care the day he was left to die in a sweltering hot van.  As reported by Jo Ciavaglia, Bucks County Courier Times, the court heard horrific testimony about  Nevin's death, including the fact that when  Bryan  Nevins was  pulled out of the locked van, hours after it had returned to the Woods Service facility,  his skin started slipping off his body. 

Ms Strauss has been charged, not convicted,  and if the matter proceeds to trial, she will do so with a presumption of innocence and with the burden on the state of proving her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The arguments at the preliminary hearing  indicate that her legal counsel will argue that Nevins' death was a horrific accident that resulted from a "system wide" failure and that the blame goes beyond his client.

A court in Pennsylvania will decide whether Stacey Strauss is guilty as charged and this Canadian lawyer will not presume to know what that court will decide. Legal issues aside though this father of a 14 year old boy with severe autism who knows that some day, some one, or some persons, will be responsible for caring for my son, hopes with all my heart that they  provide much, much, better care than Bryan Nevins received.