ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI) – A Missouri foster family warned the courts not to send their 4-year-old foster child, Zaydian Dopirak, back to his biological father. After their warning was ignored, Zaydian died in his father’s custody in January 2022.

affiliate KTVI has covered this case from the onset and was in court Thursday for the emotional conclusion.

A prosecutor’s office therapy dog sat near foster parents Dawn and Jeff James in court, who could be heard weeping as the judge began the proceeding.

Zaydian should still be alive, according to the James family, who fostered him for years.

“We should have never been here, if the courts would have originally listened,” Dawn James said outside the courthouse.

Boy dies after petition for guardianship

KTVI first spoke with Dawn and Jeff in February 2022.

“Was he just a case number for you?” Dawn said at the time.

Dawn and Jeff took in Zaydian when he was 4 months old. According to Dawn, Zaydian entered foster care after “a non-accidental traumatic brain injury at 5-weeks-old” that was caused by his skull being “crushed by hand.”

The couple was told Zaydian would never walk because of the injury, but he did. He also continued to thrive. The James’ ultimately petitioned for guardianship, and after four years, they never thought a court would disagree.

Dawn told KTVI in 2022 that social workers, a guardian ad litem, and a pediatrician testified it was too dangerous to send Zaydian back home. She, too, warned the family court commissioner that it was too dangerous to send Zaydian back to his birth father, Blake Dopirak, back then.

“When you have so many people telling you that if this child is returned home, he will be killed, you need to listen to that,” Dawn said. “We were shocked when the judge said she was going to do a trial reunification.”

After reunification, Zaydian died from a reported head injury, and the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Blake Dopirak in connection with the boy’s death. That family court commissioner retired shortly after.

“When Commissioner [Diane] Monahan stepped down and we knew that no family would be put through this again, that restored – did restore our faith,” Dawn said Thursday.

Father sentenced, attorney says ‘justice has been served’

The criminal charge resulted in a plea deal for Dopirak. He was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in prison for endangering the welfare of a child – death of child.

“Justice has been served. We are relieved for this family that this painful chapter is over, and they can continue on their path to healing. May this angel rest in peace,” St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith said.

“I know that Zaydian can never be brought back, but my family got justice for him today,” Dawn said. “Knowing that he’s going to go away, I have a little bit of peace.”

Blake Dopirak’s family and attorney declined to speak after sentencing. He was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs to await transport to a Missouri prison to serve his decades-long sentence.