A Pennsylvania man and his fiancée were charged with the homicide of the man’s 12-year-old son, who was locked in a darkened room for years, starved, and beaten and was found caked in feces, according to numerous sources.
Scott Schollenberger Jr., 41, and Kimberly Maurer, 35, of Annville are charged with homicide and child endangerment for the death of Maxwell Schollenberger, who was found emaciated and completely naked in a bed covered with feces in May, Penn Live reported.
According to District Attorney Pier Hess Graf, Scott Schollenberger, the child’s biological father, and Kimberly Maurer are each charged with criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy.https://t.co/aQ2DK6XLP4
— KOKH FOX 25 (@OKCFOX) September 14, 2020
Investigators said they found the boy sprawled across a bed covered in human waste, which was so old it had turned moldy. There were also reportedly claw marks in the child’s sheets, which “made indentation on the stained feces,” investigators wrote according to Penn Live.
Coming up on @fox43 #FirstAt4 & 5PM.
Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Graf announce homicide charges against Scott Schollenberger and Kimberly Maurer.
The couple, “allegedly starved, neglected, abused, and ultimately killed their 12-year-old son, Maxwell Schollenberger.” pic.twitter.com/BcIGVC5L2x
— Lyndsay Barna (@lyndsay_barna) September 14, 2020
The waste could be sensed from the second floor of the home. The room only had a bed and no other furniture or toys, and every piece of clothing was reportedly covered in feces. There was a cup near the bed that held an inch of water.(RELATED: Tennessee Police Follow Animal Cruelty Tip And Find Caged Toddler, Snakes And Drugs)
The couple have other children together “who appeared to be healthy, well-adjusted and cared for,” according to the investigators. The victim never received medical care and wasn’t enrolled in school, however the other children received regular medical care and attended school.
The boy weighed about half the average weight for a boy his age at roughly 47 pound, and was 8 inches shorter than the norm. He also had a bloated stomach, and there were indications that he would have been too weak to stand or walk, according to investigators.
The other children “Reported hardly ever seeing the victim prior to his death,” the investigators wrote. “Some of (Schollenberger’s and Maurer’s) family and friends also reported not seeing the victim in quite some time and some were not even aware of his existence.”
The cause of death was attributed to “blunt force head trauma complicating starvation/malnutrition.”
Maurer was allegedly the boy’s caregiver since he was 2, and the couple denied he suffered from any mental or physical disorder. Maurer told investigators that she was the boy’s caregiver because Schollenberger “expressed extreme frustration” toward him and was afraid of hurting him, according to police.
Both are being held in the county prison without bail.