An Arkansas couple, a 41-year-old mother and her 40-year-old husband is confronting over 100 felony charges. They are accused of confining the woman’s 15-year-old son in a bathroom without food for extended periods, allowing him to leave only for school, and securing the door with a ratchet strap.
On Wednesday, Jaclyn Machelle Barnett and Daniel Alan Wright, the stepfather of the victim, were arrested and face 112 charges each of first-degree false imprisonment with risk of injury. Additionally, they are each charged with one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and permitting child abuse, according to records obtained by Law&Crime.
On November 2, 2024, officers from the Mountain Home Police Department arrived at a family’s upstairs apartment following reports from a downstairs neighbor who thought they heard a child crying for help.
An officer arrived at the location and proceeded to the reporting party’s bedroom, where he was able to speak with a boy who indicated that he was confined in the upstairs bathroom. An officer allegedly knocked on the door of the upstairs apartment and was met by two young individuals, aged 10 and 11. The children reportedly stated that their parents were occupied and asserted that they were unaware of anyone being confined in the bathroom.
Authorities informed that the children’s reactions were probably influenced by coaching from Barnett and Wright.
Day mentioned that the children led him to the back room, which seemed to be the source of the noise.
Authorities reported that the child revealed he was frequently confined to the bathroom and permitted to exit solely for school attendance. As the other two children rested in their bunk beds, the victim was said to have slept on a wooden pallet that was placed in the bathroom.
In police interviews, Barnett and Wright expressed ignorance regarding the child’s presence in the bathroom without clothes, attributing the situation to the other children at play. Nonetheless, authorities reported that when they instructed the 10 and 11-year-olds to use the ratchet strap, neither child succeeded in doing so. The parents allegedly changed their account, claiming that they had been using the strap to keep the bathroom door closed because of a leaking faucet.
Officials have determined that Barnett and Wright will face 112 counts of endangerment, reflecting the total number of days the boy attended school in 2024.
Day indicated that as the inquiry continues, he anticipates further charges will be brought against the couple.
Authorities discovered that there have been 29 distinct reports regarding the child’s mistreatment, with records going back to 2013, according to the affidavit. Day expressed to KOLR that the public’s reaction to the allegations is warranted.
Barnett and Wright are currently held at the Baxter County Jail with a bond set at $50,000 each. By Friday morning, Wright had secured his bond while Barnett remained without one.