CARTHAGE, Mo. A Carthage, Missouri, couple is charged with abusing and starving their 1-year-old son.
Braxton Blevins and Emily Katz are each charged with one count of child abuse and one count of child endangerment.
On March 1, Carthage police were contacted by Children’s Mercy Hospital about a 1-year-old boy who was admitted for severe malnutrition, starvation, recurrent infections and failure to thrive. Hospital officials told police the boy had been hospitalized multiple times since birth for similar conditions.
Doctors said they had worked with Blevins and Katz on a feeding plan at home. The couple told police they were following that plan, but officers say they found 10 to 20 days’ worth of the baby’s food in the refrigerator, unused.
Hospital officials say medical scans showed the baby had missed multiple feedings. He remains hospitalized.
Police say when they interviewed the couple, they admitted to missing feedings and not properly caring for the baby’s central line and GI tube. According to court records, Blevins, the baby’s father, told police he knew they had missed feedings and blamed it on smoking marijuana and falling asleep.
Police say Blevins confirmed that during the 94 days the child was in his custody, he lost about 5 1/2 pounds. Doctors reportedly told officials the child “consistently gained weight when hospitalized and cared for by medical staff.”
Blevins reportedly admitted he couldn’t take care of the baby’s medical needs, but was worried about losing rights to their other child if they sought assistance. Katz stopped talking to police once she was advised of the charges against her, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Both Katz and Blevins are out on bond and ordered to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18. They’re scheduled to be in court at the end of May.
