Dennis Jurgens died when he was 3 years old. He was born while his mother Jerry was in a state home. She was forced to give her little baby up for adoption. He was adopted by the Jurgens family.
His adopted mother was very cruel to little Dennis. He died as a result of a beating that she gave him that was so severe, that his intestines were pushed into his spine and they burst. The autopsy showed multiple bruises and lacerations to his little body, there was also a bite mark on the tip of his penis. This went unnoticed at the time because Mrs. Jurgens claimed that he fell out of the bed.
Years later, his birth mother tries to find her son, only to discover that he had died at such a young age. An investigation began and little Dennis's body was exhumed, the medial examiner was shocked and surprised at how well his little body was preserved. During the examination of Dennis's body this second time and years later, it was proven that little Dennis had been murdered.
Dennis' brother testified at his mother's trial. When he did, he saw the autopsy photographs, and said that this was how Dennis always looked, with bruises all over his body. He said that on one occasion, their mother filled a sink with water and keep dunking him in it.
Mrs. Jurgens was put on trial and given a life sentence.
http://members.tripod.com/~leelah/index204.html
Book: "Murder in an All-American Town"
http://www.epinions.com/content_12680662660