Audrey Dutton
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Reporter @propublica. Previously @IdahoCapitalSun @idahostatesman. Adjunct @BoiseState. Data hoarder. Public records addict. audrey.dutton@propublica.org
Articles by Audrey Dutton
Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Read the story here. By Audrey Dutton, Co-published with The Oregonian/OregonLive Emma Joyce was sick and vomiting for days until she stopped breathing in her parents’ arms, in a small gray farmhouse in rural Idaho. It was August 2009, and she was 3 years old. The following summer, Emma Joyce’s little sister got sick. Ava Joan wouldn’t eat or drink anything but a few grapes and some Sprite in a sippy cup. She was breathing hard and fast.
Four kids in an Idaho faith-healing family died. Authorities could do nothing
Emma Joyce was sick and vomiting for days until she stopped breathing in her parents’ arms, in a small gray farmhouse in rural Idaho. It was August 2009, and she was 3 years old. The following summer, Emma Joyce’s little sister got sick. Ava Joan wouldn’t eat or drink anything but a few grapes and some Sprite in a sippy cup. She was breathing hard and fast. And when she vomited, it came out black, the hallmark of internal bleeding.
Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.
4 hours ago Liberal Democrat MPs have criticised their party leader over his defence of the pension triple lock. Senior Lib Dems, who are on the party's frontbench, have privately attacked Sir Ed Davey for his response to the prime minister's plans to adjust the policy, which guarantees the state pension goes …
Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.
Emma Joyce was sick and vomiting for days until she stopped breathing in her parents’ arms, in a small gray farmhouse in rural Idaho. It was August 2009, and she was 3 years old. The following summer, Emma Joyce’s little sister got sick. Ava Joan wouldn’t eat or drink anything but a few grapes and some Sprite in a sippy cup. She was breathing hard and fast. And when she vomited, it came out black, the hallmark of internal bleeding.
Deadly ‘faith healing’ exemption: Idaho remains the only state shielding parents from prosecution for replacing medical care with prayer or spirits—even if their child dies
This story was originally published by ProPublica. In Idaho, parents who say their faith prohibits lifesaving medical care for their children can’t be charged with child neglect or manslaughter. Supporters of this protection over the years have included lawmakers who voiced support for “traditional” Idaho values.
Idaho children in a faith-healing sect keep dying. The state lets it happen
This story was originally published by ProPublica. This story contains detailed descriptions of children and babies dying. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.
Idaho law protects faith healers. It wasn’t always that way
In Idaho, parents who say their faith prohibits lifesaving medical care for their children can’t be charged with child neglect or manslaughter. Supporters of this protection over the years have included lawmakers who voiced support for “traditional” Idaho values. But from at least the 1880s through the early 1970s, it was illegal for parents in Idaho to choose prayer over medical care when a child’s life was at stake, newspaper archives and historical documents show.
Idaho Law Protects Faith Healers. It Wasn’t Always That Way.
In Idaho, parents who say their faith prohibits lifesaving medical care for their children can’t be charged with child neglect or manslaughter. Supporters of this protection over the years have included lawmakers who voiced support for “traditional” Idaho values. But from at least the 1880s through the early 1970s, it was illegal for parents in Idaho to choose prayer over medical care when a child’s life was at stake, newspaper archives and historical documents show.
Children in a faith-healing sect keep dying. Idaho laws let it happen
A sheriff’s deputy opens the door of an Idaho farmhouse where a newborn baby has just died. It’s almost 10 p.m., but the house is filled with adults and children seated anywhere they can find a spot: in reclining chairs, on the wood-stove hearth, on a chest of drawers. Some of the women hold babies in their laps. “Sorry,” the deputy whispers as the door creaks. No one greets the officer. No one speaks or even looks at anyone else, casting their eyes instead at the floor or around the room.
These Children’s Deaths Were Preventable. Their Parents Prayed Instead of Seeking Medical Care.
Ghislaine Maxwell 2 hours ago Judge rejects Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to toss conviction and warns against further appeals NBC News - By Reuters and Adam Reiss • 2h U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer said Maxwell’s claims were meritless and any further appeal would not be taken in good faith.
As Trump demands voter data, this fiercely independent red state says no
The Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has demanded states hand over voter rolls. Idaho’s Republican secretary of state has refused to comply, saying, in part, that he needs to protect sensitive voter data. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn’t fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance. It wasn’t President Donald Trump’s administration applying pressure.
Democracy watch, voter data, voting requirements
DEMOCRACY WATCHAs Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No Published 24 March 2026 Wary of federal intrusion, Idaho passed a law three decades ago allowing it to sidestep so-called motor-voter laws. The exemption and the sentiment behind it are fueling resistance to President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn’t fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance.
As Trump demands voter data, this fiercely independent Red State says no
This story was originally published by ProPublica. States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn’t fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance. It wasn’t President Donald Trump’s administration applying pressure. It was the early 1990s, and President Bill Clinton had signed the “motor voter” law requiring states to offer voter registration when someone applies for a driver’s license.
A fiercely independent red state just said 'no' to Trump
States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn't fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance. It wasn't President Donald Trump's administration applying pressure. It was the early 1990s, and President Bill Clinton had signed the “motor voter” law requiring states to offer voter registration when someone applies for a driver's license. Idaho, with its fiercely independent streak, didn't want to participate.
A fiercely independent red state just said 'no' to Trump
States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn’t fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance. It wasn’t President Donald Trump’s administration applying pressure. It was the early 1990s, and President Bill Clinton had signed the “motor voter” law requiring states to offer voter registration when someone applies for a driver’s license. Idaho, with its fiercely independent streak, didn’t want to participate.
As Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn’t fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance. It wasn’t President Donald Trump’s administration applying pressure.
Idaho Seeks to Improve Its Troubled Coroner System and Lagging Child Autopsy Rates
Idaho is taking steps to bolster its antiquated coroner system following stories by ProPublica that documented how lawmakers have repeatedly failed to fix problems that harm grieving families. An advisory panel created last year at the request of Gov. Brad Little is developing legislation to require autopsies in a variety of circumstances, including the unexplained death of a child.
Idaho Seeks to Improve Its Troubled Coroner System and Lagging Child Autopsy Rates
10 hours ago A tourist has died while snorkeling in Hawaii, officials announced on Monday. On Saturday, around 11:45 a.m., first responders arrived at Makena Landing on Maui for a man who became unconscious while snorkeling, according to a news release from the Maui Police Department. Bystanders pulled …
My State Banned Vaccine Mandates. Here’s How I Covered It as an Idaho Journalist.
I’ve reported on Idaho’s anti-vaccination movement for the past 10 years, most recently for ProPublica. I’ve written about people moving to Idaho as self-described “refugees” from states where vaccines are required for school. After the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, I wrote about Idaho’s low COVID-19 vaccination rate and, later, how that contributed to deaths and the near-collapse of our hospitals.
Senators Propose Sweeping Changes to Generic Drug Oversight
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Lawmakers at the helm of the Senate Special Committee on Aging have proposed a sweeping series of changes that could transform the way the government safeguards the quality of essential generic drugs.
Idaho banned vaccine mandates. Activists want to make it a model for the country
Illustration by Shoshana Gordon/ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive its stories in your inbox every week. Three women become choked up as they deliver news in a video posted to social media. “We did it, everybody,” says Leslie Manookian, the woman in the middle.
Here’s What Happened When ProPublica Reporters Tried to Find Out Where a Popular Prescription Drug Was Made Original
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. ProPublica wanted to know something simple: Where a widely used generic drug was made and whether that factory had any quality problems. Instead, we found ourselves navigating a labyrinth of company names and complex databases that few regular consumers would even know exist. And even after all that detective work, we hit a dead end.
Vaccine rejectionist activists got Idaho to ban shot mandates. They’re now targeting the rest of the country
GLP Policy & Performance Review, 2024 The GLP is committed to full transparency. Download the report. Global Gene Editing Regulation Tracker Our interactive GLP global map explains the status of each country’s regulations for human and agricultural gene editing and gene drives. GLP 2021 Annual Report The GLP is committed to full transparency. Download our 2021 Annual Report.
Anti-Vax Advocates Are Trying to Take Idaho’s Mandate Ban to National Level
Honest, paywall-free news is rare. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size. This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Three women become choked up as they deliver news in a video posted to social media. “We did it, everybody,” says Leslie Manookian, the woman in the middle.
Amid Rise of RFK Jr., Officials Waver on Drinking Water Fluoridation — Even in the State Where It Started
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Fluoridation has long been heralded as a public health triumph, but skeptics increasingly hold sway in government. Customer notice requirements are patchy, so people may not know about it when their fluoridation stops. Fluoridation was pioneered in Grand Rapids, but other Michigan communities are either dropping it or debating it.
“Just Let Me Die”: After Insurance Repeatedly Denied a Couple’s Claims, One Psychiatrist Was Their Last Hope
This story contains graphic descriptions of suicide attempts. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. After a North Carolina man attempted suicide twice, his wife sought coverage for his mental health treatment. His insurance carrier refused to pay for his care. Patients can appeal denials and even ask for additional review by independent physicians.
Idaho’s Coroner System Is “Broken and a Joke.” Here Are 5 Ideas From Coroners on How to Fix It.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Despite 70 years of warnings about flaws in Idaho’s system of elected coroners, state lawmakers have repeatedly failed to adopt major changes. A state subcommittee this year began discussing ways to improve the system but has not made any recommendations.
He Was Accused of Killing His Wife. Idaho’s Coroner System Let Clues Vanish After a Previous Wife’s Death.
Clayton Strong pulled up to a tiny hospital in Idaho, walked through the emergency room doors and told a clerk that his wife’s body was outside in their SUV. A sheriff’s deputy was at the hospital talking to Strong by the time the coroner arrived. This was an “unattended” death: one where no doctor could attest to a medical reason for the person’s demise. That made it the coroner’s job to determine how and why she died.
Trump’s Rollback of Rules for Mental Health Coverage Could Lead More Americans to Go Without Care
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. During his first term, President Donald Trump frequently turned to the issue of mental health, framing it as a national crisis that demanded action. He linked it to opioid addiction, mass shootings and a surge in veteran suicides — and he later used it to argue against COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures. At times, he backed up his rhetoric with action.
Did Idaho's Coroner System Let a Man Get Away with Killing his Wife?
by Audrey Dutton, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. More in this series These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story. Clayton Strong pulled up to a tiny hospital in Idaho, walked through the emergency room doors and told a clerk that his wife’s body was outside in their SUV.
Appeals Court Overturns Murder and Kidnapping Conviction in Etan Patz Disappearance
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Last week, a federal appeals court overturned the conviction of Pedro Hernandez for the murder and kidnapping of Etan Patz, a 6-year-old New York boy who disappeared in 1979 in one of the most famous missing child cases in U.S. history.
By Joaquin Sapien Verified, Audrey Dutton Verified, Kyle Hopkins Verified, Nicole Santa Cruz Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
The FDA Is Cracking Down on an Indian Drugmaker Investigated by ProPublica Last Year
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
By Patricia Callahan Verified, Megan Rose Verified, Debbie Cenziper Verified, Audrey Dutton Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
Louisiana Passes Police Accountability Law Following Video of Officer Slamming Shantel Arnold to the Ground Original
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Verite News. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. Louisiana passed a new police accountability law following allegations of civil rights violations against a sheriff’s deputy caught on video dragging a Black woman by her hair and slamming her head into the ground.
The Most Interesting Email I Ever Received: Remembering the Incredible Life of DIY Geneticist Jill Viles
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This article was adapted from David Epstein’s Substack newsletter, “Range Widely,” and references the story “The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene” that he wrote for ProPublica in 2016.
Former NYPD Commissioner Accuses Mayor Adams of Running “Criminal Enterprise” and Cites ProPublica Investigation
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
RFK Jr. Wants to Overhaul a Vital System That Supports Childhood Immunization
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is targeting a little-known program that underpins childhood immunizations in the U.S. by paying people who suffer rare side effects from shots. Dramatic changes to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program risk driving drugmakers from the market, threatening access to shots, experts say.
By Patricia Callahan Verified, Megan Rose Verified, Debbie Cenziper Verified, Audrey Dutton Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
FDA Inspectors Again Find Dangerous Breakdowns at an Indian Factory Supplying Medications to U.S. Consumers
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. U.S. inspectors have uncovered new and dangerous breakdowns in drugmaking at an Indian factory owned by Sun Pharma that produces generic medications for American consumers.
He Was Accused of Killing His Wife. Idaho’s Coroner System Let Clues Vanish After a Previous Wife’s Death.
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He Was Accused of Killing His Wife. Idaho’s Coroner System Let Clues Vanish After a Previous Wife’s Death.
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. After Clayton Strong drove his wife’s body to a hospital in Idaho, the coroner took his word that it was a natural death. Police had previously made repeated visits to the Strongs’ home in Florida. After an officer called in adult protective services, the couple left town.
By Audrey Dutton Verified, Kyle Hopkins Verified, Nicole Santa Cruz Verified, Dave Biscobing Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
He Was Accused of Killing His Wife. Idaho’s Coroner System Let Clues Vanish After a Previous Wife’s Death.
The mansion the circus built: See inside the 56-room Florida home built by the Ringling family a century ago The Ringling Brothers circus once brought elephants, gilded wagons, and flying trapeze artists to towns across America aboard a mile-long train. Lauded as the "World's Greatest Show," the circus enterprise made the Ringlings one of America's wealthiest families by the early 20th century. So what did …
West Ada school racially discriminated against athlete, family tort claim says
This story originally published June 11 in Idaho EdNews. (EDITOR’S NOTE: To protect the identity of the student, Idaho Education News is not identifying the student’s school, or staff named in the tort claim.) A family filed a $1 million tort claim against the West Ada School District, alleging that their child experienced race-based discrimination as an athlete on a high school girls’ basketball team.
Idaho gave families $50M for private schools - and scrapped $30M used for public education
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Just weeks after creating a $50 million tax credit to help families pay for private school tuition and homeschooling, Idaho has shut down a program that helped tens of thousands of public school students pay for laptops, school supplies, tutoring and other educational expenses.
Idaho Gave Families $50M to Spend on Private Education. Then It Ended a $30M Program Used by Public School Families.
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Just weeks after creating a $50 million tax credit to help families pay for private school tuition and homeschooling, Idaho has shut down a program that helped tens of thousands of public school students pay for laptops, school supplies, tutoring and other educational expenses.
By Audrey Dutton Verified, Phoebe Petrovic Verified, Stacy St. Clair Verified, Jodi S. Cohen Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
Idaho Gave Families $50M to Spend on Private Education. Then It Ended a $30M Program Used by Public School Families.
6 hours ago Master this technology before it becomes your master. TL;DR: A wide range of AI courses are available to take for free on Udemy. Yes, there is a chance that AI is going to one day take over the world, but we should have a good few years before we get to that point of no return. So we should make the …
The FDA Finally Visited an Indian Drug Factory Linked to U.S. Deaths. It Found Problems. Original
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The Food and Drug Administration has found problems at an Indian factory that makes generic drugs for American patients, including one medication that was manufactured there and has been linked to at least eight deaths, federal records show.
By Patricia Callahan Verified, Audrey Dutton Verified, Peter Elkind Verified, Jeremy Kohler Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
A health system is fighting Idaho’s abortion ban. It’s not its first controversial stance. Original
by Audrey Dutton and Kelcie Moseley-Morris, Idaho Capital Sun March 12, 2025 This article was produced in partnership with ProPublica.
He Was Convicted Based on Allegedly Fabricated Bite Mark Analysis. Louisiana Wants to Execute Him Anyway.
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This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Verite News. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. Update, March 19, 2025: Louisiana carried out its first nitrogen gas execution on Tuesday after the Supreme Court declined to overturn a federal appeals court decision allowing the execution to proceed.
By Richard Webster Verified, Audrey Dutton Verified, Kyle Hopkins Verified, Nicole Santa Cruz Verified
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As Idaho Pushes to Reform Its Coroner System, Counties Seek to Make It Less Transparent
BOISE, ID – Idaho lawmakers are moving forward with modest efforts to improve the state’s system for investigating deaths, following reports by ProPublica and others that identified major problems. At the same time, counties are moving to shield from public view records that ProPublica relied on in its coverage.
As Idaho Pushes to Reform Its Coroner System, Counties Seek to Make It Less Transparent %
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Idaho lawmakers are moving forward with modest efforts to improve the state’s system for investigating deaths, following reports by ProPublica and others that identified major problems.
As Idaho Pushes to Reform Its Coroner System, Counties Seek to Make It Less Transparent Original
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Idaho lawmakers are moving forward with modest efforts to improve the state’s system for investigating deaths, following reports by ProPublica and others that identified major problems.
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