Docs: Muncie parents charged with neglect forced son to eat only canned food, made other children 'b

MUNCIE, Ind. - A Muncie couple faces over a dozen felony child neglect charges each after they allegedly punished one of their sons by forcing him to eat canned food, neglecting his education and encouraging their other children to "beat him up."




Melody Greenwood, 36, and Adam Greenwood, 38, have both been officially charged in Delaware County Court with 13 counts of child neglect, neglect resulting in serious bodily injury and battery. The charges stem from a child abuse investigation conducted by Muncie police.




Officers first encountered the Greenwood's 10-year-old son on Feb. 24 when they noticed that he was "extremely skinny and emaciated." They soon filed a DCS report and launched a criminal investigation.




At the time, Melody told officers that the victim was currently grounded and is only being served canned food as a punishment. Meanwhile, her seven other children were allowed to eat regular meals such as burgers and fast food items.




"He is not allowed any snacking between meals, or any junk food," police wrote in a report. "DCS learned that the victim is the only one of the children fed in such a manner and that he must eat canned food such as beans, tomatoes and soups while the rest of the family eats normal meals."




During interviews with DCS, several of the Greenwood children said that the 10-year-old boy spends significant time standing "on the wall" due to supposed behavioral issues. The victim also told DCS that his mother recently zip-tied his hands behind his back during a punishment.




Authorities learned that all eight children were homeschooled and that the 17-year-old and 14-year-old siblings administered most of the teaching while the parents worked. One child said that their homeschool curriculum consisted only of reading three chapters of a book each day.




The 10-year-old boy said he was forced to stand on the wall approximately 10-12 hours a day. He reportedly had to wear a blanket over his head during these times so he did not accidentally see any TV or tablet screens, as he was forbidden from having any screen time.




"The victim also disclosed that his siblings are instructed to 'beat him up' if he talks or does not stand on the wall while their parents are not home," police wrote.




After the investigation, Adam and Melody Greenwood were officially charged on June 5 in Delaware Circuit Court 4. An initial hearing, which has yet to be scheduled, will be held in front of Judge John Feick at a later date.




Online jail records show that neither Adam nor Melody has been booked into Delaware County Jail as of 5 p.m. Thursday. This article will be updated with their booking photos once they are released.





via: https://fox59.com/indiana-news/docs-muncie-parents-charged-with-neglect-forced-son-to-eat-only-canned-food-made-other-children-beat-him-up/