Father of Girl Who Was Shackled to Furniture and Denied Food Pleads Guilty to Murdering Her By Liam Quinn

The father of a 12-year-old girl who was found emaciated and later died in a hospital pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in her death.

In May 2024, Rendell Hoagland called 911 and reported that his daughter, Malinda, was unconscious. First responders brought Malinda to the hospital, and it was found that she weighed 50 lbs. and had several broken bones, according to prosecutors in Chester County, Pa. She died in the hospital.

Months before she died, Malinda had been pulled out of school and “shifted to a home cyber school.”

Following Malinda’s death, authorities searched the phones of Rendell and his girlfriend, Cindy Warren.

Authorities said they found videos of Malinda shackled to furniture and being berated by both her father and Warren over a speaker system.

Rendell and Warren were also accused of forcing the girl her do “strenuous physical exercise,” and even sometimes denying her food, prosecutors said.

On Jan. 16, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said Rendell pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, conspiracy and kidnapping among other charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus 30 to 60 years in prison.

“During the 2-hour proceeding, the defendant admitted to repeatedly and systematically abusing his daughter for years,” the D.A.’s office said. “This plea agreement was reached in consultation with the victim’s family, who spoke in court about how they have been impacted by Malinda’s death.”

Warren is set to be tried on similar charges in June, prosecutors said.

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In 2024, Malinda’s half-sisters, Emily Lee and Jamie Hoagland told PEOPLE they had no idea about the conditions Malinda faced.

“I was just estranged from my father, waiting for my sister to get older,” Lee said. “We had a relationship prior to my father’s relationship with Cindy, but I wouldn’t say that we knew anything was going on. It’s just that we were kept in the dark.”

Lee described Malinda as a “bubbly child,” who “loved the world for what it was and loved being in it.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.