An 8-year-old Illinois boy who was allegedly starved to death by his parents weighed only 30 pounds and was covered in bruises, according to testimony during his murder trial.
Navin Jones was found unresponsive at his parents’ home and later died in hospital on March 29, 2022.
His cause of death was chronic malnutrition and physical abuse and both his parents were charged with his murder.
His mother Stephanie Jones, 37, pleaded guilty last week to first-degree murder in exchange for reduced prison time, while his father Brandon Walker, 41, went on trial this week on the same charge.
During the first three days of Walker’s trial, jurors were shown gruesome photos of his son’s body — with his bones clearly visible through his skin — as well as images of the filthy conditions the boy was forced into, WMBD-TV reported.
Navin’s muscles were gone, his skin discolored, his body fat all gone and his internal organs shrunk below their normal size and weight at the time of his death, Dr. Amanda Youmans of the Peoria County Coroner’s Office testified Tuesday, according to local stations.
Navin Jones was found unresponsive at his parents’ home and later died in hospital on March 29, 2022, weighing just 30 pounds. Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home Navin’s muscles were gone, his skin was discolored, his body fat was gone and his internal organs had shrunk below their normal size and weight at the time of his death. WMD
His wrists showed signs of being bound and he was covered in bruises that his body could never heal, he said.
“He was so malnourished, he couldn’t respond to the injury,” Youmans said.
His muscles were in such a state of atrophy that he was likely to be unable to move for a long time, he added.
Other evidence presented during the trial showed that Navin’s parents limited his access to food and the bathroom.
They reportedly exchanged texts with each other expressing anger when the boy ate food from a trash can or urinated on the wall in his bedroom — which they held him inside with ropes, according to police testimony and images of the scene shown to the court.
Navin’s mother, Stephanie Jones, 37, pleaded guilty last week to first-degree murder in exchange for reduced prison time, while her father Brandon Walker, 41, went on trial this week on the same charge. Peoria County Jail Navin’s cause of death was chronic malnutrition and physical abuse and both his parents were charged with his murder. Peoria Police
A note taped to the boy’s door instructs his brother not to give Navin food or let him out of his room.
“DO NOT give Navin any food or drink! DO NOT let him out of the room!” a note addressed to the child’s brother was read. “He has what he needs until I wake up! Do not be noisy!”
Prosecutors painted a picture of parents who treated their two sons very differently.
Navin’s older brother Bently, who was 12 at the time of his brother’s death, had a well-furnished room with video games and a nerf gun while Navin’s barebones room contained only one toy and a bed with a dirty mattress and no sheets or blankets, according to police and photos. A closet in the room was full of urine and feces.
Detective Roberto Vasquez shared what he saw and smelled in the home during the search during testimony.
Navin’s barebones room contained only one toy and a bed with a dirty mattress and no sheets or blankets, according to police and photos. WMBD A note taped to the boy’s door instructs his brother not to give Navin food or allow him to leave his room. WMD
He described a “horrible” smell wafting from Navin’s room that was like “nothing I’ve ever smelled before.”
He also noted that the entire family home was typical of a family of four and that they had a fully stocked refrigerator.
Navin’s grandmother Laura Walker has full custody of the boys and has raised them since they were babies but will take them to visit their parents regularly. He left them in their parents’ care when he had to go to Florida to take care of his sick mother in July 2021, according to WMBD-TV.
When he returned two weeks later, they refused to give the boy back to him, he told the court.
She recounted seeing Navin for the last time in hospital before he died in an emotional statement on Tuesday.
During the first three days of Walker’s trial, jurors were shown gruesome photos of her son’s body — with bones clearly visible through her skin — as well as images of the filthy conditions the boy was forced into. 25newsnow
“He doesn’t look human. I touched his shoulder and there was nothing there but a bone sticking out,” she said through tears, according to a local station. “There were bruises all over his face. I have never seen such a thin human being. It’s like a little skeleton.”
Attorney Brandon Walker has tried to make the case that the boy is chronically constipated because of his inability to gain weight and calorie intake. They also said the child’s mother was blamed for the abuse because their client worked long hours as a truck driver and was not home often.
Walker faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
