A Spalding County Grand Jury has indicted a couple from Georgia on charges of allegedly starving a 10-year-old boy until he weighed only 36 pounds. Tyler and Krista Schindley are accused of intentionally withholding food from the child. The parents were denied bond due to concerns that they may flee, intimidate witnesses, or pose a threat to the community. The court records reveal that Krista has been indicted on 12 charges. These criminal charges include three counts of aggravated assault. However, Tyler was indicted for nine charges total. The couple’s next court hearing is yet to be scheduled.
The indictment against the Schindleys includes charges of criminal attempt to commit a felony (with murder being the attempted felony), four counts of child cruelty, aggravated battery, battery/family violence, and two counts of false imprisonment. The child was discovered last month by concerned neighbors, who found him walking alone and hungry. When officers arrived, the child pleaded not to be sent back home. He was immediately taken to a local hospital for stabilization and later transferred to another hospital for further treatment.
According to the warrants, the parents allegedly locked the child inside his bedroom for extended periods, depriving him of light, food, clothing, and adult interaction. The child also had no access to hot or warm running water, an outside view, toilet paper, electronic communication, human interaction, adult supervision, or an exit. The District Attorney, Marie Broder, confirmed that the child’s four siblings, who were also home-schooled, did not appear to be injured.
During a news conference, District Attorney Broder mentioned that the police were looking into the family’s history. The night of the parents’ arrest, Krista’s 20-year-old son, Ethan Washburn, was seen loading items from their home into his car with Tennessee plates. He was later arrested on two aggravated assault charges related to the same abuse case involving his stepbrother.