A family left a dying disabled 13-year-old boy alone on the porch and weighing just 21kg (47lbs) when first responders were called to the home, officials have said.
Robert Blake Fish, who died on October 8, 2022, suffered from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy usually beginning in early childhood. The condition causes regular seizures and learning difficulties, and most people who have this syndrome will have it for life.
First responders were called to the home in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, in the Autumn of 2022. Investigators said they found the teenager left out on the porch, with officials saying he weighed just 47 pounds when he died.
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After Robert's death, an autopsy was carried out and the coroner's office listed the cause of death as malnutrition and dehydration. The coroner said other significant conditions included withholding seizure medication.
An investigation was launched into the boy's death and three family members have been charged, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said. Authorities said the boy's mother, Hope Fish, was not giving him the medications he needed to treat his condition.
Investigators said they found a bottle of seizure medicine for Robert at the home that had been filled five months earlier but still had 85 pills inside. According to warrants, the child was in poor health during his last medical visit in 2022, but the family did not follow the doctor's follow-up directions.
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Those charged following Robert's death are his mother, his uncle and his grandfather. The three family members were booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on April 24, reports Fox Carolina.
Robert's mother has been charged with murder, felony child abuse and unlawful neglect towards a child. His uncle Freddie Fish II is facing charges for accessory to murder and unlawful neglect towards a child. His grandfather Freddie Fish Sr. has been charged with unlawful neglect towards a child.
The grandfather was the boy's primary caretaker when his mother was working but did not help him. Hope Fish and Freddie Fish II were denied bond at a hearing on Thursday afternoon, while Freddie Fish Sr. was given a $5,000 (£4,000) bond.
An obituary for the late teen says he "never met a stranger" and was "loved by everyone". He loved Mickey Mouse and Christmas time and was an "angel on earth", the obituary adds. It reads: "Robert Blake Fish,13, passed away Saturday, October 8, 2022.
"Born in Greenville, SC, he was a son of Hope Fish. Robert never met a stranger, always smiling and and making those around him laugh, he was loved by everyone. He loved Mickey Mouse, dinosaur sounds, Christmas time and milkshakes from Cookout. Robert was the definition of an angel on earth."