GUILTY IN - Stephen & Joetta Sells for starving disabled 15yo, Anderson, 2014

[imamaze]

http://wishtv.com/2014/12/02/police...as-locked-in-bedroom-living-in-her-own-feces/

Police: Malnourished teen locked in room, living in feces

A husband and wife are behind bars after police say they “severely” neglected his mentally disabled granddaughter.

Police said the 15-year-old girl weighed less than 40 pounds and her condition is worsening to the point that she might not survive. Police said the crime was happening in a home in the 3400 block of Forrest Terrace. They said she was locked in a room by herself, living in her own filth.


http://www.wthr.com/story/27520526/...ritical-condition-due-to-malnutrition-neglect

Couple facing charges after Anderson teen found severely malnourished

Anderson Police are calling it one of the worst cases of neglect they've ever seen: a 15-year-old teenage girl weighing what a normal five-year-old weighs.

She was brought to the hospital Monday, severely malnourished, weighing under 40 pounds, and covered in feces. Now her guardian, 58-year-old Steve Sells, faces a preliminary charge of child neglect. Also Tuesday, investigators said Sells' wife Joetta Sue Sells, 54, would be jailed after questioning on charges of neglect of a dependent and battery. That's a Level 5 felony. Other arrests in the case are possible.


http://www.theindychannel.com/news/...ditions-in-case-of-malnourished-disabled-teen

Police release disturbing details about living conditions in case of malnourished, disabled teen

An Anderson couple was taken into custody as police released disturbing details about a malnourished, mentally disabled teen's living conditions Tuesday.

Monday afternoon, family members brought a 15-year-old girl to St. Vincent Hospital in Anderson before she was flown to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis in critical condition.

 

[HMSHood]

I wonder how many child abuse cases are committed by grandparents. Really disturbing.

 

[bexlex]

http://wishtv.com/2014/12/02/police...as-locked-in-bedroom-living-in-her-own-feces/

Police: Malnourished teen locked in room, living in feces

A husband and wife are behind bars after police say they “severely” neglected his mentally disabled granddaughter.

Police said the 15-year-old girl weighed less than 40 pounds and her condition is worsening to the point that she might not survive. Police said the crime was happening in a home in the 3400 block of Forrest Terrace. They said she was locked in a room by herself, living in her own filth.


http://www.wthr.com/story/27520526/...ritical-condition-due-to-malnutrition-neglect

Couple facing charges after Anderson teen found severely malnourished

Anderson Police are calling it one of the worst cases of neglect they've ever seen: a 15-year-old teenage girl weighing what a normal five-year-old weighs.

She was brought to the hospital Monday, severely malnourished, weighing under 40 pounds, and covered in feces. Now her guardian, 58-year-old Steve Sells, faces a preliminary charge of child neglect. Also Tuesday, investigators said Sells' wife Joetta Sue Sells, 54, would be jailed after questioning on charges of neglect of a dependent and battery. That's a Level 5 felony. Other arrests in the case are possible.


http://www.theindychannel.com/news/...ditions-in-case-of-malnourished-disabled-teen

Police release disturbing details about living conditions in case of malnourished, disabled teen

An Anderson couple was taken into custody as police released disturbing details about a malnourished, mentally disabled teen's living conditions Tuesday.

Monday afternoon, family members brought a 15-year-old girl to St. Vincent Hospital in Anderson before she was flown to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis in critical condition.

Some comments under the story are upsetting.... people donated items to help the family care for the girl....

 

[MissUnderstood]

If these so called grand parents where receiving benefits for this child, and the money was not used for her care, is there a charge for that?? Fraud or something??? I'd be trying to get them on anything and everything! That poor girl


MOO!!

 

[Frigga]

Oh my god... this story just kills me. I am crying. I can't even read the story, let alone the comments. The charges seem so mild- maybe just for now. Hopefully. The most vulnerable of our society... my heart is breaking- those officers have to be traumatized... poor, sweet, precious girl. I pray she survives and has the chance at a different life. I'm not sure someone that gentle in spirit can recover, I am sick.

 

[Geminigirl77]

They starved this poor girl-but from pics of them-they certainly never missed a meal

 

[tlcya]

"When they made her take off her diaper, gave her a spoon and told her what was in her diaper was her dinner, that's when I said I was leaving," Wise said.
Wise said she called the Indiana Department of Child Services to report the abuse. She said DCS told her they would look into it.
"It was brushed underneath the rug, it fell upon deaf ears," Wise said.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/mom-on-anderson-couple-they-are-wicked-evil-people

I believe this person. I don't think too highly of her, but I believe her.

 

[tlcya]

probable cause statement - So disturbing. It's like Jarrod Tutko all over again

http://ftpcontent2.worldnow.com/wthr/pdf/andersonpcneglect.jpg

 

[Ashley426]

"When they made her take off her diaper, gave her a spoon and told her what was in her diaper was her dinner, that's when I said I was leaving," Wise said.
Wise said she called the Indiana Department of Child Services to report the abuse. She said DCS told her they would look into it.
"It was brushed underneath the rug, it fell upon deaf ears," Wise said.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/mom-on-anderson-couple-they-are-wicked-evil-people

I believe this person. I don't think too highly of her, but I believe her.

This has been all over my local news. It disgusts me. Wise, the 15 year old girl's mother, went to my high school and was in the same grade as me. I was never a friend of hers, but she is on my Facebook friends list. I have no words for this situation. These "grandparents" deserve the same treatment they forced this poor girl to endure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[newone]

"When they made her take off her diaper, gave her a spoon and told her what was in her diaper was her dinner, that's when I said I was leaving," Wise said.
Wise said she called the Indiana Department of Child Services to report the abuse. She said DCS told her they would look into it.
"It was brushed underneath the rug, it fell upon deaf ears," Wise said.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/mom-on-anderson-couple-they-are-wicked-evil-people

I believe this person. I don't think too highly of her, but I believe her.

bbm: I was bug-eyed watching that video - I agree with what you said

 

[newone]

This has been all over my local news. It disgusts me. Wise, the 15 year old girl's mother, went to my high school and was in the same grade as me. I was never a friend of hers, but she is on my Facebook friends list. I have no words for this situation. These "grandparents" deserve the same treatment they forced this poor girl to endure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bbm I thought that W ((video speaker)) was mom to the 4 yr old at the Sells house.....15 yr old was their g/daughter (their daughter's child) IIRC

 

[Hoosgirl]

"When they made her take off her diaper, gave her a spoon and told her what was in her diaper was her dinner, that's when I said I was leaving," Wise said.
Wise said she called the Indiana Department of Child Services to report the abuse. She said DCS told her they would look into it.
"It was brushed underneath the rug, it fell upon deaf ears," Wise said.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/mom-on-anderson-couple-they-are-wicked-evil-people

I believe this person. I don't think too highly of her, but I believe her.

Do I understand that she left, reported to DCS, but still left her now 4 year old in their care?

 

[tlcya]

Do I understand that she left, reported to DCS, but still left her now 4 year old in their care?

That is what I took from it. In the other articles and the probable cause statement seems to indicate that the four year old told investigators about some of the abuse perpetrated against the fifteen year old which indicates four year old was still a resident of the home at the time of the arrests. That child is now in foster care and her mother (pregnant yet again) is reportedly attempting to regain custody. Like I said, I do not like that mother much based on her actions and inactions both about the treatment she claims to have witnessed with the fifteen year old and her decision to leave her own child there despite what she had witnessed against that fifteen year old.

If these people were treating their own blood thus what on earth made her think her child would receive better??

 

[Teche]

Makes you wonder what other unspeakable abuse this poor defenseless girl endured at the hands of this grandparent and his wife. How sad that Wise left her poor child under their care.

 

[newone]

Do I understand that she left, reported to DCS, but still left her now 4 year old in their care?

Yes! that's where I got bug-eyed, and smacked my forehead and NOW she's trying to get custody?? Geeze -- shoulda grabbed her four year old at that point and fled.....oh but wait she's in advanced pregnancy now....

and when asked if she called police, she said, 'no'.......

 

[Hoosgirl]

Ok, going back to one of the original articles, it seems the Sells had guardianship of Wise's baby, and there was a court case. When I first read this article, I thought Wise was the mother of the 15 year old. I think it's hard to follow who is who because the minor children aren't identified by name:

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/...ditions-in-case-of-malnourished-disabled-teen

 

[Hoosgirl]

DCS was involved in 2011 but it was dropped:

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/...dcs-dismissed-case-of-teen-found-malnourished

 

[Geminigirl77]

Makes me want to cry, the 4 yr old is lucky too to be out of there. How dare grandparents treat their grandchild like this! I've seen people treat stray dogs better than this in their homes.

 

[mikkismom]

Indiana woman pleads guilty in case of malnourished teen
http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/in...eads-guilty-in-case-of-malnourished-teen.html

 

[Rayemonde]

October 2015:

Joetta Sells was sentenced to 24 years in prison for her role in the neglect of a teen found last December in Madison County...
Crystal Sells, Joetta’s daughter, is also charged in the case. Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings previously told I-Team 8 that Crystal was an “active participant” in the abuse of the girl...

During her statement in court, Joetta Sells apologized for not “being able to defend (the children) and myself.” She alleged that Steve was controlling and would not allow her to properly care for the now-16 year old girl...

The teen’s current caregiver testified in court that the teen weighs nearly 100 pounds now, “shovels food in her mouth” but has a fear that her plate will be taken away.

She described the 16-year old has a good eater who had gone on trips this summer to the Indiana State Fair and is able to feed and clean herself on her own...

The Sells had told authorities that the teen, now 16, had refused to eat and had a chromosomal disorder.

The teen’s caregiver acknowledged the teen was autistic but said she was a good eater.

http://wishtv.com/2015/10/12/judge-calls-joetta-sells-broken-human-being-in-sentencing/