The parents of a Detroit boy who died last week are facing murder charges after he succumbed to their torture.
Shane Robert Shelton, 27, and Valeria Lynn Hamilton, 27, are accused of abusing their sons, aged 5 and 3, resulting in the older boy's death.
Ethan Belcher died on Jan. 22 at a hospital covered in loop-shaped bruises and abrasions. Doctors determined that he was beaten to death with something like a cord.
The deceased boy also had a rotten, black tow, the medical examiner revealed.
Police investigating the abuse found out that the couple had other children that they would beat up and keep in their sewage and dirt-filled basement.
The couple allegedly exchanged incriminating text messages about the torture, using foul words and expletives to refer to their kids.
A 3-year-old was hospitalized for injuries to his head and face linked to the abuse. Wayne County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Makepeace called the allegations “quite disturbing.”
“The alleged facts, in this case, are extremely alarming. The evidence will come out in court,” Prosecutor Kym Worthy added.
