The parents of an apparently severely malnourished 8-year-old Bronx boy who died nearly 10 months ago have been arrested for murder, manslaughter and aggravated manslaughter in connection with his death, authorities said.
Little Joseph Barney was found by his mother unresponsive in his 214th Street apartment on June 1, 2021, authorities said. His mother took him, unconscious, to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities said at the time there were no obvious signs of trauma to her body. The hospital emergency room was the one that reported the boy’s case to the police.
Barney’s death was ruled a homicide last week, and police said Tuesday that his parents, Michael Ransom, 33, and Sharay Barney, 29, had been arrested in the case. They face the same serious charges.
Few details about the autopsy results that prompted the homicide investigation and arrests were immediately shared, but police said Barney was found to have “numerous indications” of child abuse.
He also appeared severely malnourished, weighing just 30 pounds, more than 25 pounds below the average weight for a child his age.
Additional information is expected from the Bronx District Attorney’s office.
It was not immediately clear whether Ransom or Barney had attorneys who could comment on their behalf. Barney didn’t answer his door when our sister chain News 4 hit Tuesday.
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