Authorities announced on Thursday that the father and stepmother of a 12-year-old girl, who tragically passed away after allegedly enduring torture and starvation, are now facing murder charges.
On Thursday, Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe made an announcement regarding the upgraded charges.
Malinda Hoagland, the victim, was only 50 pounds at the time of her passing.
Rendell Hoagland, 52, and Cindy Warren, 45, from West Caln Twp., now face charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and numerous related offenses.
The two individuals were apprehended in May and are currently being detained without the possibility of bail. The district attorney’s office has announced its intention to seek the death penalty.
During a news conference on Thursday, de Barrena-Sarobe revealed that Malinda had been conditioned to tolerate abuse in her life. Fearful of facing even more severe beatings, she chose not to report the abuse.
According to the D.A., the investigation has revealed evidence of abuse that dates back to November 2021.
Despite the challenges she faced at home, de Barrena-Sarobe mentioned that Malinda performed exceptionally well in school and was recognized as ‘Student of the Month’ by her cyber school a couple of months before her passing.
On May 4, Malinda was admitted to the hospital. According to investigators, her father stated that she collided with a tree while riding a bicycle in the early hours of the morning.
Investigators have stated that regardless of the validity of that claim, it would not provide a sufficient explanation for the severity of her injuries and extreme thinness.
Tragically, Malinda passed away during a surgical procedure. The cause of her death was determined to be starvation and multiple blunt-force injuries, as revealed by the autopsy.
The District Attorney stated that her body showed around 75 bruises, contusions, ulcers, and pressure sores.
Investigators have discovered a significant amount of videos and still images on the suspects’ cellphones and Blink security cameras, thanks to evidence obtained through search warrants.
The D.A. has reported that the videos depict Malinda being restrained to furniture, enduring physical abuse, and being subjected to forced stress positions and physical punishment.
According to de Barrena-Sarobe, she was reportedly compelled to engage in physical activity. The autopsy revealed that she had no traces of body fat.
According to de Barrena-Sarobe, her body suffered extensive damage to all major organ systems, including her brain.
The videos reveal that Malinda was frequently restrained by ankle cuffs and subjected to verbal abuse by the suspects through a speaker, even when they were not physically present.
According to the District Attorney, text messages and conversations between Hoagland and Warren reveal that Malinda faced consequences for various infractions such as forgetting chores or schoolwork, “taking” food, not appearing happy during online school sessions, and having accidents while restrained to furniture.
The two frequently communicated about hiding injuries from worried family members and mandated reporters, as stated by the D.A.
In November of 2023, Malinda was taken out of in-person schooling, according to the D.A. School records indicate that Malinda had around 25 unexcused absences in 2023, along with 10 excused absences.
According to the D.A., Malinda switched to attending a cyber school after being pulled from her previous school at the end of 2023 as reported by 6-ABC News.