Get notified by email when this case is updated.
Written by: A. Smith
Published May 2, 2023 @ 8:40 AM ET
Warning: The following story contains information regarding physical violence against/neglect of children.
Update: Two years after a severely malnourished 10-year-old boy was found wandering alone in a Griffin neighborhood, his parents have pleaded guilty to multiple charges and were sentenced to 40 years in prison, followed by 20 years of probation.
On May 12, 2023, Griffin police responded to Westminster Circle after receiving reports of a young boy walking alone. Neighbors, alarmed by the child’s frail appearance, brought him into their home. The boy, who weighed just 36 pounds, the average weight of a 4-year-old, told police he was trying to walk to Kroger to find food and pleaded not to be returned home.
He was taken to the hospital for treatment, where doctors found he was suffering from malnourishment and a dangerously low heart rate. Medical staff and investigators concluded that the child was being starved.
According to warrants, the abuse had taken place over a three-year period. Tyler and Krista Schindley, the child’s parents, were accused of intentionally withholding food, locking him inside a bedroom for extended periods, and denying him access to basic needs, including clothing, human interaction, toilet paper, warm water, and communication. Warrants also state the Schindleys knew about the child’s dental issues but did not seek treatment. He had lost 15 teeth due to neglect.
The boy’s physical injuries were believed to have occurred in front of the other children in the home.
Authorities said the other children, who were homeschooled, appeared to be in better condition and were removed from the home by the Department of Family and Children’s Services.
Neighbors described the family as quiet and mostly isolated, noting that the boy looked much younger than his age, often wore baggy clothes, and had previously been seen walking the neighborhood without shoes.
Tyler and Krista Schindley were both arrested and originally charged with cruelty to children, false imprisonment, criminal attempt to commit murder, and battery.
The couple pleaded guilty to all charges as their trial was set to begin. During sentencing, both apologized in court, and emotional victim impact statements were delivered by family and one of their older children.
Prosecutors described the case as one of the worst instances of child abuse they had ever seen.
Judge Benjamin Coker, who imposed the sentence, condemned the couple’s actions, noting that Krista Schindley never even asked about her son’s well-being after he escaped and was found by police.
SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. – On May 12, 2023, the Griffin Police Department received calls regarding an emaciated juvenile boy wandering alone on Westminster Circle. Neighbors, concerned with how thin he appeared, brought him inside their home.
Ten years old and weighing only 36 pounds, he told one of the neighbors and officers who arrived on the scene that he was headed to Kroger to look for food. He begged them “not to tell his parents…to please not take him home”
They transported him to the hospital, and he began treatment for a low heart rate and malnourishment. Officials say he was being starved to death.
According to warrants, the alleged abuse took place over a three-year period where the Schindleys intentionally withheld food, locked him inside his bedroom for long periods of time, and left him alone without access to food, clothing, or lights on numerous occasions.
The child also did not have access to human interaction, toilet paper, warm water, or any form of electronic communication. Warrants also state that the parents were aware of the child’s dental injuries but failed to provide appropriate medical treatment. The numerous physical injuries on the child were said to be caused in front of other children inside the home.
The child’s parents, Tyler Schindley and Krista Schindley have been arrested.
According to authorities, other children lived in the home but appeared in better condition. They participated in homeschooling, and neighbors said the family hardly spoke and mostly kept to themselves.
Surprised by his age, they said the boy looked much younger. He usually wore baggy clothing, and one neighbor observed him walking the streets for days without shoes.
DFCS removed the remaining children from the household. Both parents have been arrested and booked into jail and face cruelty to children, false imprisonment, criminal attempt to commit murder, and battery charges.
This case is currently pending in court.
Get notified by email when this case is updated.