Alabama Child Abuse Horror: Adoptive Parents Reportedly Kept 55 Pound Teen Locked In Basement For Years [Video]


Alabama authorities are reportedly trying to come to grips with one of the most shocking case of child abuse they have ever seen, a case that was brought to their attention over the weekend. Shelby County investigators say that they have made two arrests in the case of an Alabama 14-year-old who was brought into a local hospital so malnourished, neglected, and abused that he weighed in at just 55 pounds, according to Alabama Online. The teen was reportedly admitted to an undisclosed Alabama hospital for medical treatment on Sunday. Shocked medical personnel, horrified by what they saw, quickly contacted Shelby County authorities.

Due to the child abuse the Alabama teen allegedly suffered at the hands of his adoptive parents, he was admitted to the hospital in extremely critical condition and is reportedly currently fighting for his life. Investigators estimate that the 14-year-old, who has not been publicly named, endured his child abuse horror for years. It is believed that for at least the last two years, he spent the majority of his life locked in his family’s Helena, Alabama basement.

The teen’s adoptive parents have been identified as Richard and Cynthia Kelly, and they are currently being held in the Shelby County Jail on a $1 million bond, each. They have reportedly been charged with aggravated child abuse, a Class B felony, in connection with the horror endured by the 14-year-old.

According to medical professionals, the adoptive parents of the Alabama teen stand accused of denying the child food, water, and medical care. They are believed to have kept the frail boy locked in the basement, completely isolated from all contact, “for extended periods of time” over the last two years. While law enforcement has not independently confirmed that the gravely ill teen weighed only 55 pounds, that is the number that is being widely reported in the media, and likely came from medical professionals desperately trying to undo the years of child abuse the Alabama teen allegedly endured.

To put it in perspective, the 14-year-old reportedly weighs less than half of what a child his age should be expected to weigh.

According to investigators, when the Alabama teen was admitted to the hospital, he was extremely “close to death,” and suffering from severe dehydration, malnutrition, and even shock. Police Chief Pete Folmar of the Helena Police Department told the public that the teen is still “gravely ill,” despite days of hospitalization and medical intervention. As CBS News reports, this instance of child abuse in Alabama is the most troubling case many police officers and investigators involved in the case have ever witnessed.

“The victim continues to get medical care and we at the Helena Police Department wish him a speedy recovery and our prayers are with him.”

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After the teen was brought to the hospital for care and medical personnel reported the shocking case of child abuse to county authorities, investigators worked diligently to secure an arrest warrant for the 14-year-old boy’s adoptive parents. Reportedly, his parents were the ones to seek out medical treatment for the boy. The pair, Richard and Cynthia Kelly, were taken into police custody on Monday night and booked into the Helena City Jail; they have since been transferred to the Shelby County Jail, where they are currently being held on bond.

Reportedly, in addition to the 14-year-old and his now-incarcerated adoptive parents, two other adults live in the Alabama home where the horrific child abuse allegedly took place. Those adults, who have not been publicly identified, are described as a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old. The 19-year-old is reported to be an adopted brother of the teen child abuse victim. Police Chief Folmar says that neither are expected to be charged in connection to the horrific child abuse suffered by the Alabama teen, and both are said to have jobs and be in good health.

Fox News reports that a neighbor of the Alabama family told the media that she believes she’s seen the child abuse victim before, in the back yard of his home. She claims that the “very small” teen was mowing the lawn and visibly having trouble with the mower.

“The father was just watching him.”

That neighbor has declined to be identified.

Reportedly, all of the children in the Alabama home had been home schooled and therefore weren’t on the radar of any unrelated adults or mandatory child abuse reporters.

The investigation into the horrific case of Alabama child abuse is in its early stages and ongoing, and as such, investigators are declining to release more information on the case at this time. However, Jill Lee, the Shelby County DA, claims that the investigation into the terrible child abuse allegedly endured by the 14-year-old has been very taxing and heartbreaking for all involved.

“I am bound to remind everyone that they remain innocent until proven guilty. But this office will prosecute vigorously and to fullest extent the law will allow.”

Prior to the teen’s Sunday hospitalization, the Alabama Department of Human Resources reports that they had no prior contact with the child, nor had they received any prior reports of potential abuse or neglect in this horrific Alabama child abuse case.

[Featured Image by Shelby County Jail]

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