The mom and stepdad of an autistic 8-year-old Bronx boy who died last year allegedly starved and beat the child, according to troubling new court papers.
Authorities found Joseph Barney “suffered from starvation and abusive head trauma” as well as other, older injuries that were “indicative of child abuse,” according to a criminal complaint released late Tuesday.
Joseph weighed only 40 pounds, under the first percentile for his height, when he died at Montefiore Medical Center on June 1, 2021, court papers say.
Both his mother, Sharay Barney, 29, and stepfather, Michael Ransom, 33 — who are both facing manslaughter charges — admitted to cops that they noticed the child had lost weight, the documents say.
The mom and stepdad pleaded not guilty to the charges in criminal court Tuesday night, a Bronx district attorney spokeswoman said.
Sharay Barney was jailed without bail and Ransom was let go on a partially secured $500,000 bond, according to the DA’s office.
The new details come days after the 8-year-old’s death was ruled a homicide, as a result of battered child syndrome.