GRAFTON, W.Va. (TCN) — After an 11-year-old girl died due to alleged intentional starvation, her stepmother was arrested and charged with murder.
WDTV reports Shannon Robinson, 51, was booked into jail on Jan. 13 for the Feb. 16, 2025, death.
Law & Crime reports officers were called to the residence for a report of an unresponsive child. First responders found the child not breathing on the kitchen floor and wearing disposable pull-ups, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the outlet.
She appeared severely underweight. Robinson told the first responders the child, who has not been named, had been experiencing flu-like symptoms for about a week but she had not sought medical treatment. She also allegedly said the child was wearing pull-ups because she had had diarrhea.
The child was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An investigation into her death continued for nearly a year.
A medical examiner determined the girl was just under 4 feet tall and weighed 43 pounds, “grossly inconsistent with her chronological age,” Law & Crime reports. The autopsy report, which police received Oct. 7, 2025, also concluded the child had head lice, protruding bones, and a yellow tint to her skin at the time of her death. She died from bilateral, diffuse, acute bronchopneumonia, with failure to thrive listed as a contributing factor, per the report.
The child had not been to a doctor since 2020, when she and her father began to live with Robinson, the report stated. Witnesses told investigators the child had appeared sick since 2024, Law & Crime reports. Her condition deteriorated until she was reportedly unable to walk on her own and spent most of the time sleeping.
WKMZ reports the child’s father, Aaron Moran, was aware of his daughter’s worsening state but did not act due to fear he would be reported for child abuse or neglect.
The child was also starved as a form of punishment. If she misbehaved, Robinson and the child’s father would allegedly deny her food while they consumed meals in front of her, Law & Crime reports.
Robinson was the primary caregiver and Moran is not facing charges, per Law & Crime.
Robinson remains in jail and no bond has been set, according to WDTV.
The investigation is ongoing.
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