Denver, Colorado | August 2–4, 2020
Some parents spend years fighting for justice after losing a child.
Anthony Rosales has spent years living with another kind of pain—the belief that his daughter could still be here if someone had listened.
Anthony reached out to The Vivid Faces of the Vanished because although one person was convicted in Gianna’s death, he does not believe justice has been fully served.
He wants the world to remember his little girl.
Not just how she died…
But that she mattered.
A Father’s Warnings
On August 2, 2020, 9-month-old Gianna “Gigi” Rosales suffered catastrophic injuries while in Denver, Colorado.
She was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center on August 3.
Despite every effort to save her, Gianna was removed from life support and died on August 4, 2020.
An autopsy later determined that the infant died from severe blunt force trauma to her head.
Following a nine-month homicide investigation, Denver police arrested two people in May 2021:
Gianna’s mother’s boyfriend, Cain Gallardo, and Gianna’s mother, Jolene Beyer-LaCrue.
But long before Gianna lost her life, her father says he was desperately trying to protect her.
According to court records, Anthony repeatedly contacted law enforcement agencies and Child Protective Services requesting welfare checks because he feared for his daughter’s safety.
Although officers attempted welfare checks, authorities said they lacked probable cause to remove Gianna from the home.
Those concerns would later become a central part of Anthony’s fight for change.
The Court Cases
In October 2023, a Denver jury found Cain Gallardo guilty of child abuse knowingly/recklessly resulting in death after prosecutors presented evidence that Gianna’s fatal injuries occurred while she was in his care.
On December 8, 2023, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Gianna’s mother, Jolene Beyer-LaCrue, faced separate charges of child abuse resulting in death.
Her defense argued that she was at work when the fatal abuse occurred and did not participate in the violence.
On February 20, 2024, a Denver jury found her not guilty.
For Anthony, the verdict did not bring the closure he had hoped for.
A Mission Bigger Than One Case
Today, Anthony continues advocating for changes in how law enforcement and child welfare agencies respond when concerned parents—especially fathers—report fears for their children’s safety.
In Anthony’s own words:
“August 2nd & August 4th she died in the hospital…”
Those dates mark the beginning of a nightmare no father should ever have to live.
Anthony believes Gianna deserved better.
He believes the warning signs deserved to be taken more seriously.
And he believes his little girl’s life should continue to inspire change so that another family never has to endure the same heartbreak.
His advocacy is about more than accountability.
It is about making sure future warnings are heard before another child is lost.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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