Chelsea Crossland is a woman from Portland Indiana who was just charged with the murder of her five year old son. According to police documents would physically abuse the five year old boy for days on end and refused to feed the little boy. Eventually Chelsea Crossland would go to far and beat the child to the point he would die from his injuries. The autopsy would show the boy was severely malnourished and dehydrated and died from blunt force injuries to his head and mouth. Another child in the home would describe the abuse to police and told them Chelsea Crossland discussed disposing the five year old’s body. Chelsea Crossland has been charged with neglect of dependent resulting in death and child molesting as well as murder.
Chelsea Crossland More News
A Portland woman was charged Wednesday with murder in the death of her 5-year-old son.
In an affidavit, authorities said 27-year-old Chelsea Lanett Crossland beat, spanked and choked her son, Christian, and at times punished the boy by not allowing him to eat “for days at a time.”
The child died in his family’s home, in the 600 block of South Western Avenue, on March 24.
An autopsy, conducted Friday in Fort Wayne, indicated he died as a result as a result of “complications from blunt force trauma to (his head and mouth).
When he died, investigators determined, Christian was “severely malnourished” and dehydrated.
He had “numerous bruises and contusions on his body, and had abrasions and injuries to his face,” the affidavit said. When Portland police were called to the Western Avenue home on the night of March 24, they found the boy was clad only in a diaper.
The house was described as “unkempt and filthy.”
Indiana State Police led the investigation into the child’s death.
Court documents filed by Jay County Prosecutor Wes Schemenaur’s office indicated another child had described the abuse the boy had suffered, and also reported Chelsea Crossland had discussed disposing of her son’s body.
The boy’s father also reportedly said Crossland had told him “she wished Christian was dead.”
Crossland — who was arrested Monday — was also formally charged on Wednesday with neglect of dependent resulting in death and child molesting, both Level 1 felonies carrying up to 40 years in prison.
The molesting charge alleges the Portland woman sexually abused a child other than Christian.
In Indiana, a murder conviction carries a maximum 65-year prison term.
Crossland is being held without bond in the Jay County jail.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/portland-mother-arrested-her-5-163805415.html