Left: Anitra Burks (Milwaukee County Jail). Right: Zane McAttee-Adams (GoFundMe).
A 34-year-old Wisconsin woman will spend the rest of her days behind bars after she beat her boyfriend's 6-year-old son, causing bruises "from head to toe" and leading to his death from blunt force trauma.
Anitra Burks on Thursday was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the death of Zane McAttee-Adams, court records say. Burks was convicted in October of first-degree reckless homicide, neglecting a child leading to death and physical abuse of a child, repeated acts causing death.
Burks was the sole caregiver for Zane at the time of his death, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Milwaukee Fox affiliate WITI. She took Zane to a local hospital on July 21, 2024. Surveillance video from the hospital showed Zane "had no ability to walk on his own and appeared to be barely conscious." At one point, he collapsed and Burks picked the boy up by his shoulder and dragged him to the emergency room.
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Doctors noted the boy had bruises "head to toe" including to his face, arms, legs and genitals. They pronounced him dead. An autopsy determined the boy died from extensive blunt force injuries. He was suffering from multiple cuts and contusions along with a broken rib. Zane had a core body temperature of 92 degrees.
The defendant had no explanation for the boy's injuries. She claimed Zane ate some eggs and complained of a stomach before throwing up before she took him to the hospital. She said Zane had "behavior issues" and she was caring for him after his father was in jail for an unrelated case.
Burks had a prior history of child abuse. She spent about three years in prison after she reportedly poured hot water on a 10-month-old child.
Zane's death left his family reeling. His grandmother Yvette Adams told WITI it was "just inhumane what she did to him."
"She had my baby in a whole horror story. She is a monster," she said in an interview with the outlet. "She ripped my heart away. I'm hurt deep in my soul."