82: Alianna DeFreeze

In this episode of Stolen Lives, the heartbreaking case of 14-year-old Alianna DeFreeze is discussed. On January 26, 2017, Alianna was abducted on her way to school in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite her mother, Denisha Cooper, thinking her daughter was at school, Alianna went missing for nearly ten hours before the police were notified. A glitch in the school’s alert system meant her family received no notification when she did not arrive at school.

Alianna's body was found three days later in an abandoned house, where she had suffered severe abuse and murder at the hands of registered sex offender Christopher Whittaker. Surveillance footage captured Whittaker stalking Alianna right before her abduction, and forensic evidence linked him directly to the crime. Whittaker faced a trial in 2018, where he was found guilty of multiple charges, including aggravated murder, and was sentenced to death.

The episode delves into the grief of Alianna’s family, who have since established a foundation in her memory to advocate for child safety and address the systemic issues that contributed to her tragic fate, including a lawsuit against the school district. The community remains affected by Alianna’s murder, highlighting the need for better protection for children.