A foster couple who repeatedly raised the alarm about a vulnerable four-year-old boy have spoken of their heartbreak after the child they raised for two years was found dead and buried in a family relative’s backyard in Washington state — as a state lawmaker calls for urgent changes to child welfare laws.
Gary and Magali Lopez cared for Aiden Scott Bevins from the age of one to three, but say their repeated warnings to Child Protective Services about his safety were ignored before he was returned to his biological parents in early 2025. They say they knew from the moment he left that something terrible would happen. “Something that we had been dreading — a fear of ours ever since he left,” Gary told KING 5, the Seattle television station which broke the story.
Aiden’s body was discovered on 19 May, buried in the yard of a relative’s home in Aberdeen, Washington, after two family members called authorities with concerns. Police Commander Steve Timmons confirmed the grim discovery came through an unrelated investigation that led detectives to the property. Critically, the Aberdeen Police Department said Aiden was never reported missing — the child had simply disappeared without any official alarm being raised.
The Lopezes say they contacted the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families at least three times after Aiden was returned to his biological parents. They described how he had routinely come home from visits with his parents dirty and hungry, and said they feared he was being placed in dangerous situations. Despite visiting the family home themselves and contacting the biological parents repeatedly, every concern was brushed aside. “I raised concerns about the environment that he would be returning to,” Magali said. “Aiden is not the only one that this has happened to. Something has to change.”
Magali described the moment she saw his face in the news as shattering. “He had a very silly personality. He was one of those kids that are always just dancing, jumping around. He was full of energy,” she said. Child Protective Services declined to comment on the specific case, citing the ongoing investigation. The cause of Aiden’s death has not yet been determined, with authorities saying the autopsy process could take some time.
The case has drawn immediate comparisons to the 2021 disappearance of Oakley Carlson, a Grays Harbor County girl who went missing and is presumed dead. Her parents were jailed for exposing their children to methamphetamine but were never charged in connection with her disappearance. Her body was never recovered.
Washington State Representative Jim Walsh has called for immediate changes to the state’s Keeping Families Together Act, which he argues prioritises family reunification over child safety, saying Aiden’s death exposed dangerous flaws in the system. A community vigil for Aiden was held at Sam Benn Park in Aberdeen as the Grays Harbor County community came to terms with the loss.
Aberdeen Commander Timmons said the investigation remains the force’s top priority. “It’s our number one case. It’s a high priority case for us. So it’s 24/7 they’re working on this,” he said. No arrests have been made.
