Search Weight Loss Topics:




Dec 23

Florida couple starved toddler with vegan diet: Grand jury – CrimeOnline

Diet Comments Off on Florida couple starved toddler with vegan diet: Grand jury – CrimeOnline

A vegan couple in Florida were formally charged this week with first degree murder charges in the death of their 18-month-old son, who died of extreme malnutrition in September, weighing only 17 pounds.

Ryan Patrick OLeary, 30, and Sheila OLeary, 35, were also indicted in Lee county for aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, child abuse, and two counts of child neglect, the Fort Myers News-Press reported.

The OLearys told investigators their children eat a raw food diet which largely consists of mangoes, rambutans, bananas, and avocados, and that the toddler hadnt eaten in a week and was only breastfeeding.

How do you protect your children from predators? Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here.

The indictment includes three other children the couples surviving children, ages 3 and 5, and Sheila OLearys daughter with a different father, age 11 State Attorney Amira Fox said.

The evidence and crime scene in this case are gut-wrenching. These are images as a mother and state attorney I will not be able to forget, Fox said at a news conference.

Citing a Cape Coral probable cause statement, the News-Press reported that an autopsy confirmed that the toddler died from complications of malnutrition, including microsteatosis of the liver an abnormal retention of fat in cells and slight swelling his of hands, feet, and lower legs.

Sheila OLeary called for help on September 27 after finding her son unresponsive and cold at the couples Cape Coral home. The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene, as CrimeOnline previously reported.

The parents told investigators they thought the boy was not eating because he was teething.

The night before his death, Sheila OLeary reportedly told investigators she noticed her son was having difficulty breathing while breastfeeding him. The couple allegedly went to sleep instead of getting their ailing son medical attention. The mother also said that her deceased son was born at home and had never seen a doctor. While she claimed her other children were homeschooled, police determined that they were not enrolled in an approved program.

The couples two surviving children were reportedly also severely malnourished. The older child reportedly appeared to be the healthiest of the three children. Police wrote in their report that the girl stays with her biological father for two weeks every couple of months, possibly explaining her healthier appearance. According to the News-Press, the girl was placed in her biological fathers custody in 2009 because she failed to thrive in Sheila OLearys care.

The two younger children were extremely small for their age and were a pale, yellowish color, the police report said, according to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze, which said one of the children also had blackened teeth indicating dental decay.

The OLearys are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

For the latest true crime and justice news,subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Listen to the latest episode:

Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children.

[Featured image: Sheila and Ryan OLeary/Lee County Sheriffs Office]

Read more from the original source:
Florida couple starved toddler with vegan diet: Grand jury - CrimeOnline

Related Posts

    Your Full Name

    Your Email

    Your Phone Number

    Select your age (30+ only)

    Select Your US State

    Program Choice

    Confirm over 30 years old

    Yes

    Confirm that you resident in USA

    Yes

    This is a Serious Inquiry

    Yes

    Message:



    matomo tracker