Two parents were jailed when their malnourished one-year-old daughter died at the age of one, weighing just 8 pounds and shrouded in wounds.
Following the death of their daughter, Sage Wright, 22, and Christian Bishop-Torrence, 24, of Wichita Falls, Texas, were arrested and accused with damage to a child, elderly, or disabled person.
When addressed by the Wichita Falls Police Department, both parents confessed they didn’t seek medical help when their daughter began losing weight in January.
Bishop-Torrence was on his way out the door to get fast food when he saw his little girl breathing shallowly and shaking as she breathed, according to the arrest affidavit.
He hurried her out to his friend’s vehicle, which was waiting outside, and drove her to United Regional Hospital’s emergency department. Upon landing in the emergency clinic, clinical staff found the youngster to be badly emaciated, with dirt plastered on her skin and tiny, round blisters on her lower back and buttocks.
The one-year-old weighed eight pounds, significantly less than the usual one-year-old weight of 22 to 24 pounds.
Wright, the victim’s mother, told police that she had been unable to form a relationship with her daughter like she had with her other two kids. Bishop-Torrence, the victim’s dad, informed police that he lived with his wife, Wright, and their three children – the victim and two other girls.
When authorities enquired about the victim’s last medical test, Bishop-Torrence couldn’t furnish authorities with any data. Furthermore, Bishop-Torrence stated that during his police interview, he ‘f**ked up’ and did not recognise the seriousness of his daughter’s illness
A post-mortem examination directed at the Dallas County Medical Examiner/Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science Office found no intense injury answerable for the victim’s passing. Physical findings associated with neglect were discovered during the autopsy.
Dr. Suzanne Dakil, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, revealed during a forensic examination of the case that the victim had been able to eat and gain weight effectively. After October, Dakil believes the victim’s diet began to deteriorate.
‘While there is a risk that a genetic or metabolic condition might cause weight loss, normal neonatal screening and the lack of a family history make this exceedingly improbable,’ she noted in the study.
Both parents are being jailed in the Wichita County Jail on $500k bail. They both have declared poverty and mentioned court-delegated lawyers.
May the little soul rest in peace.
