Girl dies after years of alleged starvation by mother in West Virginia

An 11-year-old girl died weighing just 43 pounds after years of alleged neglect inside a West Virginia home, according to court records.

ABC’s WCHS reports Shannon Faith Robinson of Grafton has been charged with murder of a child by a parent or guardian after investigators say she deprived her daughter of food, nutrition and medical care for years.

The charge was filed in Taylor County Magistrate Court, according to the criminal complaint.

The case came to light in February last year when deputies and emergency crews rushed to a home on Nector Street following a report of an unresponsive child.

What they found shocked first responders. The girl wore disposable diapers and appeared severely underweight and malnourished, officers noted in court documents.

Caregivers told investigators the child had suffered flu-like symptoms for about a week and wore diapers because of ongoing diarrhoea.

She was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. Records show she had not received any documented medical care since 2020.

Medical examiners later recorded that the girl had multiple bruises and lacerations all over her body.

A final medical report released in October said she died from acute bronchopneumonia, with failure to thrive listed as a contributing factor.

Investigators say witness interviews revealed Robinson refused to seek medical help because she feared authorities would report her for abuse or neglect.

Robinson remains in custody at the local jail as she awaits further court proceedings.