Home Scandal and Gossip Prosecutors seek death penalty against couple in 12 year old starvation death

Prosecutors seek death penalty against couple in 12 year old starvation death

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Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren face upgraded charged in death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, PA girl.
Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren face upgraded charged in death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, PA girl.
Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren face upgraded charged in death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, PA girl.
Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren face upgraded charged in death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, PA girl.

Pennsylvania prosecutors seek death penalty against Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren in starvation and child abuse death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County girl. How red flags were missed and how the system failed to stop a child’s ongoing abuse. 

A Pennsylvania district attorney on Thursday announced plans to seek the death penalty for a couple charged with the murder of a 12-year-old girl who was found weighing a mere 50 pounds at the time of her death.

Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren were charged in May with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping and related offenses in connection to the death of 12-year-old Malinda Hoagland. Those charges were upgraded to include first-degree, second-degree and third-degree murder, and Involuntary Servitude, according to prosecutors.

‘She did not have an ounce of fat on her’ 

District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said prosecutors will pursue the death penalty due to the level of torture they allege the 12-year-old suffered at the hands of her biological father and his girlfriend, CBS News reported.

‘She did not have any disease,’ de Barrena-Sarobe said. ‘She was starved and forced to exercise, did not have an ounce of fat on her.’

The girl died hours after her father called 911 in May claiming that a tree knocked the girl unconscious as she rode her bike. Detectives soon determined that the father’s alleged chain of events not matching up with the child’s extensive injuries.

Doctors found that Malinda weighed 50 pounds when she died and had six broken bones, numerous lacerations and bruises, and liver damage.

Detectives uncovered that Hoagland and Warren kept Malinda shackled to furniture, even while she was attended school online, and forced her to do hours of calisthenics as punishment. The father and stepmother also kept food from her and padlocked a pantry to keep the starving 12 year old out.

Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren face upgraded charged in death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, PA girl.
Rendell Hoagland and Cindy Warren face upgraded charged in death of 12 year old, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, PA girl.

‘Ongoing and systematic’ abuse that was filmed and documented 

A video recovered from a cell phone showed Malinda suffered abuse that wasongoing’ and ‘systematic’ and took place over years, prosecutors said.

Detectives recovered hundreds of files, including videos, images and texts that depicted the alleged abuse the girl was subjected to over many years.

‘They communicated regularly on how they would terrorize Malinda,’ de Barrena-Sarobe said. ‘It appears Malinda was reprogrammed to accept abuse as part of her life.’

Warren’s 9-year-old son also lived at the home but was not subject to the abuse hoisted on the girl.

An autopsy determined Malinda died from starvation and multiple blunt force injuries, according to WGAL. She had about 75 bruises, contusions, ulcers, and pressure sores at the time of death.

‘Her injuries were simply inexplicable. And then, as we investigated, a preliminary number of cellphone videos clearly showed that Malinda was terrorized by the defendants,’ District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said.

‘This incredibly resilient young girl, her body could not take it anymore. She began to shut down, early morning hours of May 4. And the defendants denied her medical care,’ Barrena-Sarobe said.

Charges upgraded against father and stepmother of 12 year old Chester County, PA girl who starved to death and was subjected to ongoing abuse.
Pictured, Malinda Hoagland, Chester County, Pennsylvania 12 year old girl who died in May as a result of ongoing abuse at the hands of her father and stepmom along with a myriad of missed red flags.

Was 12 year old girl failed by the system? 

Arrest papers stated Malinda not having been seen for months.

Coatesville Area School District made its concerns about Malinda known to Chester County Children, Youth, and Families. Nevertheless no visit to the family residence in West Cal Township was ever made. Warren who had been the focus of previous child abuse in another relationship went unchecked along with the 12 year old who had been perennially abused at home and forced to often go without food. A state of affairs which ought to have been known at the girl’s school before being taken out along with Child Protective Services.

A spokesperson for Chester County said in a statement, ‘As required by law, CYF has convened a review team and an official report reflecting the findings will be developed. Due to the confidential nature of child protection cases such as this, we cannot comment further on any aspects of Malinda’s case.’

Attorneys for both defendants have declined to comment. They’ll be back in court for a preliminary hearing next month.

Not immediately clear is how and why the daughter came to be the target of ongoing abuse and wanton disregard.

The couple remain held at Chester County Prison without bail.

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