Woman Charged with Murder after Allegedly Starving Stepdaughter, 11, Who Died Weighing Just 43 lbs

Woman Charged with Murder after Allegedly Starving Stepdaughter, 11, Who Died Weighing Just 43 lbs https://ift.tt/Zoi4zfj

Shannon Robinson, 51, was indicted on a charge of murder of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian on Tuesday, Jan. 20

West Virginia Regional Jail & Correctional Facility Authority

Shannon Robinson

NEED TO KNOW

• A West Virginia woman is accused by authorities of starving her 11-year-old stepdaughter to death
• Shannon Robinson, 51, was indicted on a charge of murder of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian on Tuesday, Jan. 20
• A medical examiner determined that the girl weighed 43 pounds and was 47 inches tall at the time of her February 2025 death, which was “grossly inconsistent with her age," per court documents obtained by a local news outlet

A West Virginia woman was arrested after allegedly starving her 11-year-old stepdaughter to death, authorities said.

Shannon Robinson, 51, was indicted by a Taylor County jury Tuesday, Jan. 20 on a charge of murder of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian, according to court documents obtained by WV Metro News, WDTV 5 and WBOY 12 News.

She is being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail with no bail, per the outlets. It's unclear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.

Deputies with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to Robinson's home in Grafton on Feb. 16, 2025, and found the girl unresponsive on the kitchen floor, per court documents cited by WV Metro News. They noted that the child looked severely underweight and had on disposable pull-ups.

Investigators at the scene interviewed Robinson, who allegedly told them that her stepdaughter had shown “flu-like symptoms” for about a week leading up to the incident, WDTV reported, citing the court documents. Authorities later found that the child had not been given any medical treatment since 2020, when she started living with Robinson.

A medical examiner determined that the 11-year-old girl weighed 43 pounds and was 47 inches tall at the time of her death, which was “grossly inconsistent with her age," the documents state, per WDTV. The examiner also reported that she had head lice, protruding bones, and multiple bruises and wounds.

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During the investigation, authorities spoke with witnesses who claimed Robinson would withhold food from the girl as punishment and that she was afraid to take her to the hospital, fearing a child abuse report, according to WV Metro News. The girl's deteriorating condition also reportedly left her unable to walk.

It's unclear if the girl's father, who also lived at the home, will face criminal charges.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.