John Jefferson
Background: IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Ind. where a 10-year-old showed signs of “nutritional” neglect (Google Maps). Inset (left): Melody Greenwood (Muncie Police Department). Inset (right): Adam Greenwood (Muncie Police Department).
An Indiana couple could faces charges after police said they singled out their 10-year-old son for neglectful treatment.
According to court documents obtained by the Muncie Star Press, Melody Greenwood, 38, and Adam Greenwood, 36, were arrested by Muncie, Indiana police after bringing their 10-year-old son to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in late February.
Medical staff alerted the Indiana Department of Child Services upon noticing that the boy was showing signs of “nutritional” neglect and child abuse, police say. When law enforcement interviewed the boy and the rest of his family, the child reportedly detailed a harrowing experience, allegedly at the hands of his parents.
The boy was found to be “extremely skinny” and had “scars and marks on his wrists” that appeared “consistent with restraints,” police said in an arrest affidavit. The boy reportedly told officers that his mother zip-tied his wrists.
The boy also told officers that his mother allegedly zip-tied his hands behind his back as his seven siblings were getting ready for bed, WXIN, a local Fox affiliate, citing the documents, reported. She allegedly made the child wear the constraints to bed and then removed them with scissors, leaving scars on the boy’s wrists. The boy told police the zip-ties caused him pain from being too tight.
The documents stated that none of the other siblings were subjected to the same treatment as the 10-year-old. In interviews with the other children, police said that the allegedly singled-out boy was often forced to stand against a wall for “10-12 hours” and “grounded” because of behavior issues. The siblings were also allegedly instructed to “beat him up” if he moved away from the wall, the boy reportedly said.
When it came to how the parents fed their eight children, police said that the 10-year-old was allegedly given “canned food, vegetables and protein” and was prohibited from snacking or any junk food, Melody Greenwood allegedly said. The other children, however, got to eat “cheeseburgers and fast food.”
The documents also stated that the boy was allegedly disallowed from watching TV or playing video games. In order to prevent him from participating, a towel was reportedly placed over his head.
Melody Greenwood allegedly told police that all of her children were home-schooled, though when police spoke to the children, that entailed the two oldest siblings reading three chapters of a book to their younger siblings while their parents went to work.
Melody and Adam Greenwood were both arrested by Muncie police and face several preliminary charges of child neglect. They were both booked into Delaware County Jail and were released after posted bond. The case now lies in the hands of Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman, who has yet to decide whether or not the Greenwoods will be formally charged.
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