A LaPorte County woman set for trial early next year in connection with the death of her four year-old son faces even more charges in connection with the death.
Mary Yoder was arrested last year after her son, Judah, was tortured and beaten, allegedly at the hands of his father, after the boy had trouble with potty training.
Yoder was charged with neglect, failure to report, and other counts.
Now, the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office has tacked on two new counts of neglect of a dependent and a count of domestic battery, in light of new evidence in the case. The boy’s father, Alan Morgan, is charged with murder.
Here’s more on the background regarding the boy’s death and the charges against the parents:
Charges have been filed against a LaPorte County man accused of killing his own child.
Charges have also been filed against the child’s mother.
Alan Morgan, 28, was arrested Monday, shortly after LaPorte County Sheriff’s Deputies found his son, Judah, 4, dead inside a home along County Road 875 South in Union Township.
Investigators say it appears the boy was frequently bound naked with duct tape and left in a dark basement for days at a time because he was not potty-trained.
Officers discovered the boy’s body under a blanket.
Three other children who lived in the home were not injured.
The family’s home was reported to be a mess. A dog found in a cage in the home appeared to be malnourished.
Judah’s death was ruled a homicide. According to reports, it appears he may have died from blunt force trauma to the head.
These are charges Morgan faces charges of:
- Murder, L1 Felony
- Neglect of a Dependent, L5 Felony
- Neglect of a Dependent, L5 Felony
- Neglect of a Dependent, L6 Felony
- Neglect of a Dependent, L6 Felony
- Neglect of a Dependent, L6 Felony
- Cruelty to an Animal, A-Misdemeanor
He’s being kept at the La Porte County Jail without the possibility of bond.
Mary Yoder, 26, faces charges of:
- Neglect of a Dependent, L1 Felony
- Neglect of a Dependent, L5 Felony
- Cruelty to an Animal, A-Misdemeanor
- Failure to Report, B-Misdemeanor
Yoder, who was already in custody of the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, remains housed in the LaPorte County Jail and is being held on a $100,005.00 cash-only bond through Circuit Court.
