The 7-Year-Old Boy Was a 'Skeleton with Skin,' Weighing Just 28 lbs. — and Was Allegedly Tied in Closet by Parents By Lesley Cosme Torres

Police arrested a couple in Arkansas on charges of endangering the welfare of a minor after police allegedly found their 7-year-old son severely malnourished and nearly dead.

A spokesperson with the Russellville Police Department said authorities have arrested 39-year-old Chris Freeman and 27-year-old Katelyn Freeman on charges of first-degree battery and endangering the welfare of a minor, KARK, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and KATV reported.  

Medical staff described the 7-year-old who was brought to a nearby hospital in critical condition as “pale, limp and extremely underweight at just 28 lbs.,” per the outlet, which cited police. Doctors told investigators that after years of malnutrition, the boy was a “near fatality.”

“There is no denying that this shook us to our core,” Russellville Police Chief David Ewing told KARK. “I mean, he was basically just a skeleton with skin on it.”

After investigators searched the Freemans’ home, they allegedly found their living conditions were “unfit for children,” KATV reported, citing police. There was a closet the couple allegedly had converted into a makeshift room where the 7-year-old was confined, often tied up with rope, police claim.

The closet appeared to have been used frequently, with urine and feces on the floor and worn-down walls, the outlet reported, citing police. Other minors in the home told police that the ropes in the room were used to restrain the 7-year-old and as punishment for another child, police claim.

The couple allegedly admitted to police that they locked their son in the closet and they didn’t seek medical assistance for him because they were afraid of the repercussions, THV11 reported, citing police. Medical professionals called the case “mental and physical torture,” per the outlet.

“As part of our investigation, we noticed that it was not from a lack of food. It’s not. There was an abundance of food in the residence,” Russellville Police Chief Ewing said to the outlet. 

“From what we understand, there was also a large sum of money in the residence. So there was no reasonable explanation that we could find why the child would be malnourished or in that condition at all,” he said.

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The couple were booked into a nearby detention center on a $100,00 cash-only bond, the local outlets reported. It’s not immediately clear if either suspect has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

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.