The parents of a severely malnourished 8-year-old who died last year at a New York hospital have been charged with his murder, according to police.
Michael Ransom, 33, and Sharay Barney, 29, were arrested Monday on charges of murder, manslaughter, manslaughter of a person under 11 years old and aggravated manslaughter, according to the New York City Police Department. The couple is from the Bronx.
Barney brought her son to an emergency room on June 1, 2021, police said. He was “unconscious and unresponsive with no obvious signs of trauma observed.”
The child, Joseph Barney, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police told NBC New York that the boy weighed just 30 pounds at the time of his death, when the normal weight for a boy that age is between 46 to 78 pounds.
Police also said the boy had “numerous indications” of child abuse.
The Office of the Bronx District Attorney is expected to release more information on the case.