Left: Pricilla P. Marshall. Right: Cody R. Marion (Fox Lake Police Department).
An Illinois mother and her boyfriend are behind bars after they allegedly subjected her 11-year-old son to yearslong abuse, which included pouring dish soap into his mouth and forcing him to write sentences such as "you're not a loved child, everybody hates you."
Pricilla P. Marshall, 34, and Cody R. Marion, 35, are facing charges of aggravated battery, endangering the life of a child and two counts of domestic battery, the Fox Lake Police Department said in a press release.
The investigation began around 9:30 a.m. on Friday after a business owner in the area of Nippersink Boulevard and Grand Avenue found an 11-year-old boy wearing only a diaper and appearing to have been beaten up. The boy had blood on his face and several welts, bruises and scratches throughout his body, police said.
Cops transported the boy to the hospital and later went to the boy's home, where they found Marshall. Two other children, ages 1 and 2, along with two other older boys who were at school at the time, live at the home and were unharmed, police said.
Investigators conducted forensic interviews with the children and cops said they determined Marshall and Marion abused the boy for years. They allege Marshall and Marion poured dish soap into the boy's mouth and ears, beat him with household objects and refused to allow him to attend school.
Prosecutors laid out additional evidence at a court hearing over the weekend, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner. Marshall would allegedly beat the boy with extension cords, metal spatulas and spoons, and punch him in the face. Often, Marshall would force the boy to remove clothing so the punishment would hurt more, police said. She also reportedly threatened to stab the boy "33 times" and had the boy's older brother beat him up.
The mother also forced her son to repeatedly write sentences that said "you're not a loved child, everybody hates you" in a notebook while kneeling on uneven floorboards, according to prosecutors.
In addition, Marshall and Marion would feed the other children food from McDonald's or Pizza Hut, while forcing the boy to eat canned food or ravioli, the Scanner reported.
While the boy was subjected to the abuse, none of the other children were harmed, according to cops.
After interviewing the children, police arrested Marshall and Marion and transported them to the Lake County Jail. Both are being held without bond. Marion has a court date set for Tuesday.
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