Inset: Aaron J. Moran (WVDCR). Background: The area in West Virginia where Moran and the victim lived (Google Maps).
The 42-year-old biological father of an 11-year-old girl in West Virginia who was fatally starved and neglected has been arrested in connection with the girl's horrific death.
Aaron James Moran was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with one count of murder of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian by refusal or failure to supply necessities and one count of child neglect resulting in death in connection with the death of Miana Moran.
Shannon Robinson, the child's 51-year-old stepmother and primary custodian, was arrested earlier this month and similarly charged with murder of a child by a parent or guardian by refusal and child neglect resulting in death.
Moran and Robinson had been indicted by the same grand jury, but his indictment remained sealed until this past weekend, when he was released from the hospital, Charleston Fox and ABC affiliate WCHS reported. Troopers with the West Virginia State Police executed an arrest warrant on Moran immediately after he was discharged from the facility.
According to court documents obtained by WCHS, the murder charge against Moran alleges that he knowingly permitted Robinson to neglect or refuse to care for his daughter by failing to provide her with necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, and medicine.
As Law&Crime previously reported, at about 8:40 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2025, deputies with the Taylor County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from emergency medical services about an unresponsive juvenile female at a residence in the 200 block of Nector Street in Grafton, West Virginia. Upon arriving at the address, deputies said the child was lying on the kitchen floor while medical personnel administered lifesaving measures.
"[The victim] appeared extremely small for her age, severely underweight, and malnourished," a deputy wrote in the affidavit. "[She] was wearing disposable pull-ups and was not breathing or responsive."
Moran was kneeling next to Miana while Robinson, the victim's "primary caregiver," was seated nearby.
Robinson told authorities that Miana had been "experiencing flu-like symptoms for approximately a week prior to the incident," but said that "no medical treatment had been sought."
EMS transported the child to Grafton City Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 9:32 p.m., per the affidavit.
Two other "household members" told investigators the victim had been sick "for a little while" and was kept in diapers because she had ongoing diarrhea for "an extended period."
The medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and found that Miana weighed just 43 pounds, which was "grossly inconsistent with her chronological age."
"The medical examiner further noted head lice, a yellowish tint to the skin, extreme thinness with bones visibly protruding, and multiple bruises and lacerations on the extremities and torso," police wrote in the affidavit. "On Oct. 7, 2025, I received the final autopsy report, which concluded [the victim] died from bilateral, diffuse, acute bronchopneumonia, with failure to thrive listed as a contributing factor. The report noted [the victim] was markedly underweight, with height and weight well below the fifth percentile for her age and sex."
Interviews with family and friends allegedly revealed that Robinson and Moran kept Miana "isolated" from the outside world, investigators said. They also alleged that the 11-year-old had been visibly ill since mid-2024, with her condition "progressively worsening to the point she was unable to walk without assistance and spent the majority of her time sleeping."
Despite the "observable and severe decline in health," witnesses told detectives that Robinson and Moran refused to obtain necessary medical care for the victim "because they feared being reported for child abuse or neglect due to her physical condition." A search of records showed Miana had not seen a doctor since 2020, shortly after she began living with Robinson.
The couple also allegedly starved Miana as a form of punishment.
"Further investigation revealed that food deprivation was used as a method of punishment toward [the victim]," the affidavit states. "Witnesses stated that if [the victim] resisted or 'pushed back' against Ms. Robinson, she would be denied food or provided only minimal nourishment for extended periods, while other household members consumed full meals in her presence."
Moran was booked into the North Central Regional Jail without bond, records show. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear back in court.
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