Mary Elizabeth Moore, 34, was found guilty of two counts of child neglect after her children, aged three and five, were found so severely malnourished they had to be rushed to hospital and fed through nasal tubes
Mary Elizabeth Moore, 34, was given two seven-year suspended sentences after she was found guilty of two counts of child neglect involving her children, aged three and five.
When Moore was arrested at her secluded home in Miami, Oklahoma, the two youngsters were so severely malnourished they had to be rushed to hospital and fed through nasal tubes.
The five-year-old weighed 11.8kg, while the three-year-old was barely 8kg, according to court reports.
The eldest child, a girl, told Department of Human Services workers that she had been forced to eat dog faeces.
It was also revealed that Moore’s boyfriend would sometimes throw bottles at the three-year-old, Delaware County District Court heard.
Delaware County undersheriff Tracy Shaw told Oklahoma’s News 4 the “extreme” case of child neglect was the ‘worst she had ever ever seen.’
She added: “If somebody had not reported this, the hospital records and the child abuse expert that examined them in Tulsa stated that they would probably be dead.
“As the investigator got around to the actual allegations, (Moore) became very upset and walked out of the interview.”
On Friday Moore pleaded “no contest” to the charges – a plea that does not mean the defendant has admitted their guilt but they acknowledge the evidence against them could likely result in a jury or judge finding them guilty, according to Oklahoma Criminal Law.
She entered the plea after agreeing to a deal with prosecutors.
Police said they said records showing a long history of cases brought against Moore, with “failure to thrive” diagnoses dating back to when the youngest child was just four months old.
Both children have now been placed into care.
