An Ohio mother reportedly tried to abandon her child before eventually running him over with her car and throwing his body into the Ohio River, according to a report from NBC News.
What are the details?
Authorities arrested 29-year-old Brittney Gosney after she reported her 6-year-old son, James Robert Hutchinson, had gone missing.
Within hours, the Middletown Division of Police were looking at the case as a homicide investigation.
Court records obtained by the outlet state that during the investigation, Gosney admitted that she attempted to abandon her son at Rush Run Park in Worthington, Ohio, Sunday. When he attempted to get back into the car, Gosney said she sped off, ran over him, and dragged him "for a distance" before the child lost his grip on vehicle.
She told investigators that she returned to the scene approximately 30 minutes later to find him dead in the parking lot, having suffered an apparent head injury.
Initially, Gosney said that she took the body, brought it to her home in Middletown, and placed it in an upstairs bedroom. A day later, she said that she and her boyfriend, 42-year-old James Hamilton, drove her boy's body to the Ohio River, where they dumped the body into the water.
Authorities are still working to recover the child's body.
Authorities arrested Gosney and charged her with murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. Hamilton faces charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
On Monday, a local judge set Gosney's bond at $1 million and Hamilton's bond at $100,000.
Two other children who were living in Gosney's home were removed and placed in emergency foster care.
Middletown Police Chief David Birk said that Gosney is "not showing much remorse at this time."
WXIX-TV reported that Gosney's other two children were inside the car with her the entire time.
"This has really touched my soul and my heart," Birk said. "My kids are older, but my youngest is 16, but I'm just sitting there, you know, the poor six-year-old has no idea what's going on and what's happening, and for the other kids to go through this too. It's just heartbreaking."
The little boy's father, Lewis Hutchinson, told WKRC-TV that he can't fathom why Gosney would do this to their child.
"I love and you will always be my world," he said of his son. "And I'm sorry for what your mom did to you. You didn't deserve it. You have so much more of a life to live. I'm sorry I can't do no more. I don't understand what would drive someone to be a monster like that."
"He was fun-loving and energetic," Lewis added. "He was always concerned with other people. If he saw me down, he would give hugs and say, 'It's OK. What's wrong?' He was a very loving kid and he did not deserve this."
In a letter to families at the little boy's school, Rosa Parks Elementary School, Principal Tracy Neely wrote, "We are all mourning the loss of our friend James today. James was a happy and joyful soul who loved school. On the days he was in class, he would give hugs to all his teachers as he walked into school. A fun memory I have is the way his face would light up when he won the lucky lunch tray! First graders can find the joy in just about anything. I will always remember his bright joy."
Gosney is due in court March 8.
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