It’s a case almost too horrific to believe. But, tragically, it’s very true.
It’s a dark-spin on a Cinderella story that led to nine arrests, including a young toddler’s evil step-mother, just a few years after her biological mother passed away.
An innocent three-year-old girl was found locked inside a 24-by-24 inch bug-infested box in Indiana Wednesday morning, Fox News reported.
To put that in perspective, the average height of a 3-year-old girl is anywhere from 35-40 inches, according to Livestrong. She was forced to curl up inside the box during the evening for extended periods of time.
Authorities rescued the girl after a tip from the her step-mother’s ex-boyfriend, who reported the travesty from prison.
Her father, Christopher Short, 25, and his wife, Donna, 42, were charged with neglect. The two attempted to argue that the girl would willingly enter the box, but evidence shows otherwise.
Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine said a rope and “metal eye” on the box indicated that she would be forcibly locked inside.
Officers discovered the girl inside the box late Wednesday, and described the interior as smelling of urine with dead bugs in the corners.
Richwine told reporters that during the search, “Nobody spoke up about a little girl in a box, even while we were in there and started taking people out, nobody spoke up and said hey, there’s a little girl over here in a box.”
The girls maternal grandfather, Frank Jackson, told WNDU that Short barely allowed him to see his granddaughter since the death of his daughter.
“I’ve seen people treat their animals better. It’s a nightmare and I wish I’d wake up,” Jackson grieved.
Short and his wife continue to argue that the girl voluntarily climbed in the box. The young girl is non-verbal, leading the sheriff to fear the father’s claims will be believed and she will return to the same, awful situation.
“This is definitely a problem, that somehow we’ve got to get this figured out where we’re not putting kids back in these same messes and then letting it start all over again,” Richwine said.
Five additional juveniles found in the residence were released to Pulaski County Indiana Department of Child Services.
The three-year-old girl is currently in protective custody.
— The Horn editorial team
WHY?? What EVIL deed was done by this innocent 3year old girl????????????
This would be abuse even if the child were capable of, and had committed, evil deeds.
They should do the same to the ones that did this to that child
jeff says, “I agree with Kay. Our nations should go back to ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” Whatever someone does to someone else should be done fo him/her in the same way and without so called mercy or consideration for ” they had a bad childhood, or some other lame excuse” I just heard on the news about a 3 year old girl who was raped and killed by some sick MF, and some liberal judge stayed the death penalty for this sick —-. I say fry the bastard.
Jeff, I Like This, An Eye For An Eye, Tooth For A Tooth.That’s What Evil People Need To Happen to Them. For Example, I Remember Some Evil Men Poured Gasoline On An Innocent Girl, Even Her Nose And Mouth, and Set Her On Fire. I Would Love It If The SAME THING Would Happen To Them, That’s What Needs To Happen.
A child at age 3 cant do evil deeds…these parents should be shot where they stand! No reason that i can see to keep them alive.
THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE HANGED BY THERE NECK UNTILL DEAD IN THE PUBLICS EYE.
There was a form of torture in years gone by in which someone’s hands and feet would be secured and honey and sweet substances would be smeared on their private parts. Then rats would be turned loose. This would be a good start for these people.
WHY?? What EVIL deed was done by this innocent 3year old girl????????????
Any information on any political party affiliations of these “parents”?
I wonder because it seems to be the Democrat Party that is the party of approved child abuse (as in the child sex ring business).
Before anyone argues this, I am aware that there are undoubtedly Republican parents who abuse their children. But so far, there has been no connection between many party bigwigs and child trafficking/child sex.
Lock both the father and step-mother up in a 3′ x 3′ box for life!
Five minutes…with a baseball bat with large nails driven through the business end is all that I need!????
How awful. In this day and age, there’s absolutely no reason to have unwanted pregnancies. Why have children when you can’t even take care of yourself. Why have children is you never wanted them in the first place? I know it’s too late for this child, but after a horrific act like this, a law should be written and passed for legal castration of both “parents”. They can cry all they want about their “constitutional rights being violated”, but what about the right of the child or children? If there is no such law, our society will see more of these cruel horrific acts and it’s always too late by the time a victim is rescued. Disgusting!
Her mother died, she was left in the “care” of these evil people.
Those people are monsters, and should have all children removed from that horror!!!!!!
Civility and morality have gone out the window. Today it is shooting others,
raping, beating up someone, being abusive to animals and children etc. What
happened to the good years when I grew up and all got along? We have turned
America and other countries into war zones. I believe the drugs are doing their bit
on us. Hope one day we can regain America as it once was and get along.
These monsters belong in a burning hell and even that is too good for them.
That poor little girl must have suffered terribly. I hope this doesnt affect her for the rest of her life. I hope that they fi d her a home where she will have the love she deserves. Very sad story.
To show how miserable these people are – they keep arguing that the little girl entered the box on her own. SHE is 3 years old who the hell are the adults here? I’m sure that most people feel that both the 25 year old and 42 year old should be imprisoned without mercy, or they would like to be left in a room alone with these two P’sOS for 5 minutes. The one is prison is sure to be getting what he deserves about now, one thing incarcerated people do not stand for is people who harm children especially babies. The 42 year old should be there soon and they will be waiting for her, I’m sure everyone involved will sway these two must have fell or something when the guards went to get coffee.
I HOPE TRUMP COULD SOMEHOW PUT AN END TO CHILD NEGLECT.
IT’S A SAME.
The poor little girl is probably nonverbal because no one ever loved her or spoke to her or taught her to speak. Just think of the lasting affects this horror will have on her for the rest of her life.
Your exactly right Mae!! 0 -3 is very critical years in a child’s development. They need hugs and kisses, a soft gentle voice. This kid will have issues til the end of her life.
The poor little girl may be “non-verbal”, but all you have to do is gently lead her to the box, then motion for her to climb in. Watch her every move: body language and facial expressions each step of the way. She’ll “tell” investigators what they need to know.
These sick low life cowards should be locked up for years so they can never harm another child. Such inhumane treatment to innocent children must be stopped now. God only knows what else that child had to endure with these crazy people.
These people are at fault, but child protective services is a joke, remember they are government funded. People this is not hard to figure out, the government wants to be the daddy, the mommy and God all rolled up into one. Our justice system is corrupt to the core, this is apparent when you do your own research, where first time offenders and non-violent offenders more times than not have the book thrown at them, while repeat offenders are given a slap on the wrist.
NO ONE deserves this kind of treatment!! PLUS…..WHAT HAS POLITICS GOT TO DO WITH HOW this little girl was treated??? Need to pray for this child and her family members. God works miracles and there is one coming.
There should be no punishment under the law for this trash. If I were the judge in this case I would order some street justice to be done. I am sure there are many people in there neighborhood who can teach these garbage of humanity a lesson. If it were up to me for every minute that child spent in that box and was abused they would be brutally beaten.
Let me add something to my comment. The worst kind of Convicts do not even like it when you do some kind of a crime to a child. You are considered an outcast among the worst prisoners if you do something to a child. These people will also have to answer to the Convicts in prison.
I feel so bad for the Grandfather. He lost his daughter, and was prevented from loving his little grandaughter. So very sad. I hope she is placed in a very loving foster family where the Grandfather can visit and give her the love she needs. God help her, as she will carry the mental scars of this abuse for many years, if not forever. Her father and step “monster” are trash. Set them out on the curb for garbage pick up!
Horrible!! Reminds me of what the Bible says would become of men in the “last days”.
That step mother is the poster person for the DEATH PENALTY!!!
You watch the father will have all kinds of excuse why they did what they did, and the child will be given back to him!!!! Health and welfare will check on her a few times and she will be forgotten. Short of sexual abuse, rotten parents always seem to get the abused children back. Our welfare system for abused children Needs lots of work. Horn please keep us posted on this little girl.
this is the result over time of too many sick people making children suffer for their own screwed up brains. More outside adults need to be involved in their neighborhoods as to the wholesome raising of children. Mothers have too much control saying “it’s my child and I will determine the way I raise them. Many mothers have a sick way with authority and the fathers who are working all day are not even aware of the truth at home. The mother many times will distort the true story to make herself the princess. I have personally witnessed this in many cases and the mother says,”What, you are not on my side?” Then the father gets it from her the rest of the night,and all he wants to do is rest from a hard days rest. YOU MOTHERS OUT THERE——-YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT.
This is what happens continually when mentally ill people are able to mix with the functional society, especially children and the elderly, who are vulnerable enough to be sacrificed at the
mercy of these sick mentally deranged people. And do not forget the innocent pets that are tortured by the same variety people. Apparently, the Government does not concentrate on the destruction of lives incorporated by this country’s People onto to the innocent. We shall talk about this crime existing, but I don’t hear of any laws, government agencies, or anyone of our country’s leaders paying attention to the lives existing in the United States of America. Most important, also, are the sad lives of foster children being exposed and controlled by people of these sorts. This country has a lot of work to do in order to clean up the messes people have created and neglected. AMEN.