Police: 4-year-old repeatedly beaten, locked in basement before being killed by father

HAMLET, Ind. (WISH) — A 4-year-old lad covered successful bruises and marks was recovered dormant connected Monday astatine a residence successful bluish Indiana, constabulary said.

Just earlier 3 a.m. Monday, La Porte County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 3100 artifact of East 875 South successful Hamlet connected reports of a kid battered by his father. Reports besides claimed that determination were different children successful the home.

Deputies arrived astatine the residence and recovered the doorway unlocked. Upon entering the home, they located the 4-year-old kid wrong of a bedroom.

Authorities accidental the kid was bare and covered successful a broad with bruises each implicit his assemblage and reddish marks connected his look and head. The kid was pronounced dormant astatine the scene.

Deputies located 3 much children wrong the residence, and they were escorted to an ambulance.

A hunt warrant was aboriginal executed for the property. Investigators recovered the residence to beryllium riddled with garbage, rotting food, covering and carnal fecal matter.

Police besides recovered a malnourished canine locked successful a crate wrong the home. The crate was contained matted hair, urine and fecal matter.

Mary Yoder, the parent of each 4 children, was aboriginal interviewed by police.

She said that the 4-year-old was often sent to the home’s basement arsenic punishment for not being “potty trained” similar the different children. Detectives noted that the basement was acold and had nary moving lights.

Yoder besides said that nutrient was sometimes withheld from the kid and that his father, Alan Morgan, would hindrance his hands and feet utilizing duct tape. She besides said that Morgan would physically maltreatment the child.

The kid was typically forced to spell to the basement naked, Yoder said, and if helium refused to go, Morgan would transportation him downstairs by the neck.

Yoder estimated that the kid was punished successful this mode 3 times a week. Yoder besides said that determination were times that the kid was kept successful the basement for days astatine a time. It is chartless for however agelong this took place.

There was nary furniture successful the basement, Yoder said. Detectives recovered an babe “potty-training” toilet successful basement containing fecal substance and urine, arsenic good arsenic a broad and pieces of duct tape.

Yoder said that the kid was successful the basement the past clip she saw him, which was erstwhile she near the location connected Oct. 9 to springiness commencement astatine the hospital.

An autopsy determined that the child’s origin of decease was blunt unit caput trauma causing a monolithic subdural hematoma.

According to tribunal documents, Morgan is charged with murder, carnal cruelty, neglect of a babelike involving cruel confinement and the unlawful usage of hand, neglect of a babelike involving cruel confinement and depriving a dependent, and 3 counts of neglect of a babelike successful a concern that endangers the dependent.

Yoder faces charges of neglect of a babelike resulting successful death, neglect of a babelike involving cruel confinement and depriving a dependent, carnal cruelty and nonaccomplishment to marque a report.

Both assemblage trials are scheduled for Oct. 10.