The Georgian parents charged with attempted murder for starving their 10-year-old son are also accused of physically assaulting him in front of their four other children.
Shocking court documents show that Tyler Schindley, 46, and his wife Krista, 47, are charged with committing acts of third-degree child cruelty by allowing their four other children to ‘see and/or hearing ” physical abuse against the boy on several occasions from 2020 to 2023.
The documents say the two parents maliciously caused the emaciated boy “excessive physical or mental pain” before neighbors found him wandering barefoot through the streets in Griffin, Georgia on Friday.
The starving boy had been locked in a room and left alone in the house “for long periods of time and repeatedly without access to light, food, clothing or interaction and/or assistance from ‘an adult,’ according to the affidavit. .
The Schindleys, whose home is worth around $447,000 and who together ran the True REST spa in Peachtree City, are also accused of leaving a ‘dental injury and disfigurement’ the boy suffered unattended.
The couple have been charged with attempted murder, in addition to several counts of child abuse
The Schindleys’ home in Griffin, Georgia, worth around $447,000
Tyler and Krista Schindley were arrested shortly after neighbors in an upscale Griffin, Georgia enclave found their son wandering hungry and confused on the streets before pleading with officers ‘not to bring him back “.
Authorities quickly determined the child had been intentionally starved and weighed around 36 pounds – the average weight of a four-year-old.
According to officials, the boy was neither the eldest nor the youngest of five siblings living in the house.
Authorities did not share information about the conditions of the other children, who were all homeschooled, but said it appeared the 10-year-old was the only one starving.
The other four children have been taken into the custody of the Georgia Department of Children’s Services, according to law enforcement.
Tyler Schindley voluntarily came to the local police department after his son was found and spoke with investigators. Krista Schindley was arrested after this, following a separate interview.
The boy was taken to a local hospital, where he is being treated for malnutrition and a low heart rate. He also suffered from “dental injuries and disfigurement” which his parents reportedly failed to treat.
While the 10-year-old recovers in the hospital, the other four children have been taken into the custody of the Georgia Department of Children’s Services, according to law enforcement. Pictured: Krista and Tyler in a 2013 photo on her social media
Krista Schindley (centre right) poses with her eldest son Ethan Washburn (centre left) at a Float Spa booth. Ethan does not live at home and is not one of the four children mentioned in the affidavit.
Griffin police arrested Tyler and Krista Schindley after neighbors found their emaciated son wandering the streets on Friday. Pictured: Krista and Tyler in a photo from her social media earlier this year
The owners of True Rest Spas have since distanced themselves from the Schindleys, saying they were ‘horrified and shocked’ by the arrest
The couple have been charged with attempted second-degree homicide and attempted malicious murder, in addition to child cruelty charges.
The couple are due in court on Monday.
The couple’s neighbor, Kim Seigler, told Fox5 that she was already worried about the Schindley children.
“The fact that they’re my neighbors…just made me feel bad…like I should have been more observant,” she said.
According to public records, Tyler and Krista Schindley were only convicted of minor traffic violations, including speeding, improper turning and expired registration.
Krista is believed to have owned a franchise of the Peachtree City True Rest Float Spa and she and her husband Tyler ran the spa together.
Tyler’s Facebook page also listed him as the manager of an Under Armor store in McDonough.
In a Mother’s Day promo posted to True Rest Float Spa’s Instagram page on May 1, Krista Schindley is seen leading a guest into a spa room.
Since her arrest, the owners of True Rest Spas have distanced themselves from Krista, saying they are “horrified and shocked” by the arrests.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the company wrote: “As owners of True REST McDonough and Peachtree, we are horrified and shocked by the news regarding the Schindleys. True REST does everything in its power to protect the spa as a safe environment for our customers and employees. This operating team has been replaced. The True REST mission remains to provide a therapeutic flotation experience accessible to anyone struggling with pain, stress and insomnia.
Kim Seigler, a neighbor of the Schindleys, who said she often worried about the children in this house
Schindley, along with his wife, is charged with attempted murder and a few counts of child cruelty
A child’s bike can be seen at Griffin’s property where Krista and Tyler Schindley’s 10-year-old son was reportedly locked in his bedroom without until he weighed just 36 pounds
The family’s upscale home in Griffin, Georgia
Ethan Washburn, the eldest son of Krista and Tyler Schindley, opened the door to their family home in Griffin, Georgia, and told a reporter, “I’m not too close to it right now, just watching. the House”
District Attorney Marie Broder said at a press conference on Tuesday, “This child was, quite simply, starved to death, and that’s tragic.”
“I really believe that if he hadn’t come out of that house, it would be a very different case,” she added.
“This case is just disturbing. It’s heartbreaking,” said Broder, who has spent most of his career pursuing child abuse suspects.
“As a mother, I cannot understand it. As a human being, it breaks your heart. We’re not posting any photos of this child for obvious reasons, but I’ll tell you, the photos are absolutely horrifying, and anyone with a human heart who looks at them should be shocked.
Ethan Washburn, the couple’s eldest child – although he doesn’t share a surname with Tyler Schindley – was at the family home on Tuesday.
He told Fox5 he had no connection to the ongoing case: “I’m not too close to the situation right now, just watching the house.” I don’t really have a comment,’ he said before confirming the pair were his parents.
Ethan is listed as a branch manager for the same spa chain his mother worked for before her arrest.
Ethan does not live in the family home in Georgia and is not among the children mentioned in court documents.
