HAGERSTOWN, Md. – A 33-year-old man will spend five decades in prison after abusing his two children, one of whom died from starvation.
According to the Herald-Mail, Andre Ford received a 50-year prison sentence on June 24. He had previously pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse with death and second-degree child abuse. Ford will also face five years of supervised probation and no contact with his surviving son.
On November 28, 2023, Hagerstown Police responded to a home after receiving a report of an unresponsive 6-year-old boy. According to reports, officers discovered the child dead on the floor, his head and shoulders propped up on a pillow.
He was allegedly wearing sweatpants at the time, but his arms were not inserted into the armholes. The child weighed 32 pounds and was suffering from “severe malnutrition and starvation,” according to police.
According to the Herald-Mail, the child had bruising all over his body and suspected cigarette burns. According to preliminary autopsy results, the boy may have died two days before being discovered.
Authorities found a second male child in the house with similar injuries and removed him. He was also allegedly malnourished.
Investigators identified the children’s father, Ford, as the primary suspect, concluding that he “failed to provide proper care and medical treatment.”
Ford reportedly told investigators that he last saw his 6-year-old son alive around 9 p.m. the day before, playing with his brother. Ford allegedly claimed that his 6-year-old son was misbehaving and refusing to eat because he wanted his biological mother back in his life. Ford claimed he spanked his son and tried to feed him.
Authorities believe that the defendant disciplined his children by withholding food. The victims also reportedly displayed signs of previous physical injuries.
According to the Herald-Mail, before announcing the defendant’s sentence, Circuit Court Judge Mark K. Boyer stated, “This was an astonishingly brutal and disturbing situation.”
