A Pennsylvania couple has been accused of systematically torturing and abusing a 12-year-old girl to death.
Rendell Hoagland, 52, and his fiancée Cindy Warren, 45, were charged in the death of their daughter Malinda after officials found her with multiple broken bones and “barely alive” on Saturday in West Caln.
‘Doctors found an emaciated child. He weighed 50 pounds,” said Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe.
‘She was covered in bruises. She had at least half a dozen broken bones. Her organs were failing and she eventually died while being treated in hospital.’
Malinda was found after Hoagland called 911 claiming her daughter hit a tree while riding her bike and lost consciousness, it was reported. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Malinda was found after Hoagland called 911 claiming her daughter hit a tree while riding her bike and lost consciousness.
Rendell Hoagland, 52, and his fiancée Cindy Warren, 45, were charged with the death of their daughter Malinda after authorities found her with multiple broken bones and “barely alive.”
Both are charged with attempted criminal homicide, assault and kidnapping, among other charges. Investigators say additional charges, including murder, are possible.
Investigators say the couple deleted a cellphone video that showed the extent of the ongoing abuse, which included chaining Malinda in the basement of their home to an air hockey table and other furniture.
Some of the videos, from the home’s camera system, showed Malinda being handcuffed by her ankles to furniture and verbally berated by the defendants over the camera’s built-in speaker system.
“The video showed that she would be punished by requiring strenuous exercises such as squats and running in place while she was still chained and showed that she would be punished for slights by denying her food,” de Barrena-Sarobe said.
Other videos reportedly show Malinda being forced to sleep on the floor, chained, with no pillow or blankets and being told not to expect breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The last images he shared of Malinda were posted on January 5, when she appeared to be opening Christmas presents with Gavin.
Another image of Malinda shared in January by her father
The photo above shows the house where Malinda was allegedly tortured for months.
The couple also allegedly deleted their text messages before calling 911, but the recovered messages showed them discussing the girl’s worsening condition.
In an exchange mentioned in the affidavit, Warren tells Hoagland to “take” Malinda to the hospital instead of calling 911.
Detectives have since claimed that Malinda was pulled out of school in early December and moved to an online cyber school.
de Barrena-Sarobe said the girl had been appearing on camera in classes, but was chained downstairs, away from the camera’s view.
Both are charged with attempted criminal homicide, assault and kidnapping, among other charges. Investigators say additional charges, including murder, are possible.
They were arrested on Monday after police opened an investigation into the girl’s condition in hospital, including significant liver damage.
Hoagland and Warren were avid Facebook users and until last year shared images of Malinda and another boy named Gavin.
They are being held on $1 million cash bail.
When asked about Malinda’s injuries, the couple allegedly claimed they were due to the bike accident and being accidentally hit by another child on a water slide.
When asked about her wasting, they stated that she had been steadily losing weight for months and that they planned to take her to a doctor about it.
Hoagland and Warren were avid Facebook users and until last year shared images of Malinda and another boy named Gavin.
However, Malinda disappeared from her social media at some point in recent months, while the couple continued posting about Gavin.
Over the past few weeks, Hoagland posted pictures with Gavin at the movies, at a car racing event, and with the Cub Scouts.
Hoagland wrote on March 16: ‘Gavin had a great day today at Cub Scouts. He took first place at the Bear Den level. He couldn’t be more excited and proud. Congratulations, friend.’
Over the past few weeks, Hoagland posted pictures with Gavin at the movies, at a car racing event, and with the Cub Scouts.
Malinda and Gavin are seen above in an image shared by their father in 2020.
Warren almost exclusively posted images of Gavin on Facebook and only once shared an image of Malinda: in December 2020.
The last images he shared of Malinda were posted on January 5, when she appeared to be opening Christmas presents with Gavin.
It is unclear whether Gavin is Hoagland’s or Warren’s son.
Warren almost exclusively posted images of Gavin on Facebook and only once shared an image of Malinda, in December 2020.
She previously pleaded guilty in 2009 to allowing her ex-husband to beat their son Isaiah, who was three years old at the time, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Her ex-husband McKinley Warren Jr. is serving a sentence of between 25 and 50 years for abusing the child and also for killing their two-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
Warren was the girl’s stepmother, it was reported Pocono Record.