Griffin couple allegedly starved, imprisoned and abused 10-year-old son

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Griffin couple has been arrested after police discovered their 10-year-old son, who weighed just 36 pounds, wandering their neighborhood last week.

During a news conference Tuesday, Griffin authorities announced charges against Tyler and Krista Schindley stemming from a May 12 incident.

According to police, residents in the area of Westminster Circle called 911 to report a lost boy wandering the neighborhood. Upon arrival, officers noticed the condition of the boy, describing him as “thin with discolored skin and visible injuries.” The boy told police he was hungry and that he was walking to a nearby Kroger to get food.

Due to his condition, he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Investigators say the juvenile had an extremely low heart rate at the time of his evaluation.

GRIFFIN POLICE DETAIL CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION:

The couple now faces charges of cruelty to children, false imprisonment, battery, and criminal attempt to commit a felony, and attempted malice murder.

According to the affidavit, the parents intentionally withheld food from their son and locked him in his bedroom with no access to food, lights, hot or warm running water, outside view, toilet paper, electronic communication, human interaction, adult supervision, or access to exit the bedroom for “extended periods of time and on multiple occasions.” Griffin police described the abuse as “deeply disturbing.”

Court documents suggest that the Schindleys not only abused their son leaving “dental injuries” and “disfiguration,” but did so in the presence of other minors in the home.

The affidavit initially stated that the couple “did commit the offense of murder in the second degree while in the commission of cruelty to children in the second degree,” however, officials later clarified that the 10-year-old boy is still alive, saying a computer glitch caused the mistake.

During a court hearing Monday, a judge denied bond for both parents. They’re currently in the Spalding County Jail.

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