Inset, left to right: Stephanie Woods and Cody Mercer (Hamilton County Sheriff's Office). Background: The area in Ohio where they abused their 20-month-old daughter (Google Maps).
A mother and father in Ohio will likely spend less than a year behind bars for starving and neglecting their 20-month-old daughter after the malnourished and dehydrated toddler was found weighing just 13 pounds and covered in bedsores so severe they required surgery.
Stephanie Woods, 36, and Cody Mercer, 34, appeared in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on Monday where they pleaded guilty to one count each of endangering children in connection with the abuse, records show.
The pleas came after both defendants reached agreements with prosecutors that include nine-month prison sentences, according to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer. In exchange for admitting their guilt, prosecutors dismissed two additional endangerment charges.
The child had been hospitalized for a "significant amount of time" after her birth due to a series of medical problems before she was discharged in May 2025, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Elyse Deters said during the plea hearing, according to the Enquirer.
According to a court filing obtained by Law&Crime, the victim was hospitalized again in November 2025 after suffering a spate of neglect-related issues.
"[The victim] was found severely malnourished, dehydrated, weighing 13 pounds, with bed sores all over her body — some of which are so severe they might require surgery — and an overall body temperature of 80 degrees when she was admitted to Children's Hospital," the filing said. "The victim is currently hospitalized and is expected to remain there for an extended period."
Additionally, the toddler's feeding tube had reportedly been blocked.
During Monday's hearing, Mercer's attorney, Bradley Fox, acknowledged that his client knew the family home was "in shambles" and that Woods' mental health problems were interfering with her ability to care for their daughter. Despite knowing how dire the situation was, Mercer chose to stay out of the home.
"He wasn't doing what he was supposed to do as a parent," Fox reportedly told the court.
Woods' attorney, Clyde Bennett II, said she and her family were "very pleased with the plea offer to resolve the case." He told the court she had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder after her arrest and was undergoing treatment.
Although there was "overwhelming evidence of guilt and serious, near-fatal injuries to an infant, my client was offered a very fair plea," Bennett reportedly said.
The victim has been in the care of a family member since her parents were arrested and a judge issued a no-contact order.
Woods and Mercer are scheduled to appear before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Wende Cross for their sentencing hearing Sept. 9, records show.