Boy, eight, found murdered in plastic bag in an attic after being preyed on by unlikeliest of killers
An eight-year-old Ohio boy, who was found dead in plastic bags in an attic, is revealed to have been allegedly killed by his own mother.
Martonio Wilder was found wrapped in a garbage bag in the attic of his Columbus home on June 28, 2024, around six hours after his mom, Lashanda Wilder, reported the boy missing.
Martonio's mother, 33, and her girlfriend Johnna Lowe, 34, were both charged with murder, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and felonious assault.
Wilder had told police that Martonio had run away and that it had happened before, before his body was found at around 6.30pm.
Martonio was found severely malnourished, weighing only 35 pounds, and dehydrated with signs of blunt force trauma, including multiple bruises and cuts on his face and head, according to the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney.
The Franklin County Coroner's Office determined that the young boy had died from 'deep neck compression.'
His autopsy report said his eyes and stomach were 'sunken' and he had a 'severe loss of muscle mass' allowing for his bones to be clearly visible through his skin.
Lowe, Wilder, and two other children left the home after police arrived with a cadaver dog to assist in the search for Martonio prompting an amber alert for the two kids.
They were later located with Lowe's mother, 68-year-old Mary Johnson, who is facing obstruction of justice charges.
Lowe pled guilty to murder and abuse of a corpse and was sentenced to twelve months as well as fifteen years to life with the possibility of parole, according to court documents.
The boy's life was described by prosecutor's as 'brutal,' according to ABC News.
'Multiple witnesses and some family members told detectives that Miss Wilder treated Martonio Wilder different than her other sons,' a prosecutor said.
'They spoke about unusual punishments for Martonio, including holding a weighted ball and walking up and down the steps while naked and restricting food. Witnesses also stated Martonio was always hungry and stole food from other homes he was at, including his school.'
Lowe had turned herself in to police and prosecutors said she admitted that the couple intended to blame one of Martonio's siblings for his death, the Dispatch reported.
Wilder remains in custody in Franklin County Jail on a $2 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court in July.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Trump sends National Guard to Los Angeles amid chaos in the streets as protesters clash with ICE agents
Trump's border czar has said the National Guard is mobilizing to enter the city of Los Angeles within hours amid tense standoffs between protesters and ICE agents. 'We are making Los Angeles safer. Mayor (Karen) Bass should be thanking us,' Tom Homan, President Trump's point man on border security, said on X on Saturday evening. 'We are going to bring the National Guard in tonight.' Federal agents clashed with angry protestors in the Los Angeles area for a second day Saturday, shooting flash-bang grenades into the crowd and shutting part of a freeway amid raids on undocumented migrants, reports said. The standoff took place in the suburb of Paramount, where demonstrators had gathered near a Home Depot that was being used as a staging area by federal immigration officials. They were met by federal agents in riot gear and gas masks, who lobbed flash-bang grenades and tear gas at the crowd, according to news reports and social media posts. The immigration raids are part of President Donald Trump's ongoing crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Following the latest clashes in Los Angeles, authorities vowed to prosecute offenders and warned of an escalating security presence. Trump's border czar Tom Homan has said the National Guard is mobilizing to enter the city of Los Angeles within hours amid tense standoffs between protesters and ICE agents
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
John Swinney to host THIRD summit on youth violence epidemic in Scotland
The move comes amid the Record's applauded youth violence campaign, Our Kids ... Our Future - launched two years ago after we highlighted a worrying trend. John Swinney is to host a third summit on an epidemic of youth violence in Scotland. The First Minister has announced that the latest event will take place on Thursday, June 12. It will include the Justice and Education secretaries, Ministers for Children and for Victims and Community Safety, cross-party MSPs, youth workers and community programmes. The move comes amid the Record's applauded youth violence campaign, Our Kids ... Our Future, which was launched two years ago after we highlighted a worrying trend of violence among teens. As part of the campaign, we have demanded the Scottish Government to invest in young people and in initiatives to prevent violence. Since its launch, we have reported on the untimely deaths of Kayden Moy, 16, Amen Teklay, 15, and Kayden Moy, 16. Three teenage boys, aged 14, 15, and 16 years old have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Amen, an Eritrean refugee, in Glasgow on March 5. In recent weeks, three teenage boys – a pair aged 17, and a 14-year-old – have appeared in court charged with the murder of Kayden, who was allegedly attacked on Irvine Beach, North Ayrshire, on May 17 and died in hospital. And just last month, a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to five years detention after admitting culpable homicide following the death of Kory at Glasgow's Greenfield Park on May 31 last year. Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: 'Scotland remains a safe place to live. 'But more needs to be done to change the attitudes and behaviours of some who are at risk of violence, or young people considering carrying a weapon. 'There is no place for violence in Scotland and anyone who commits a crime will face the consequences. 'Our work remains focused on ensuring our prevention and punishment measures respond to the changing behaviours of young people. This includes ensuring good school and community engagement with young people, appropriate police powers and tackling the root causes of violence. 'At this meeting we want to hear the views of the youth work and third sector representatives on what more, or different, can be done, within the current financial climate, to help address this issue. 'The role of youth work and grassroots community intervention is key. 'We all must work together to help young people feel safe and realise that carrying a knife is never the answer.' Two previous summits have been held on the topic in recent months, however, the events were later slammed as "nothing but talking shops" by campaigners. A monumental sit-down was secured with Swinney after 15-year-old Kaylynn Donald and her mum, Vicky, from Ladybank in Fife, wrote a letter to him following Kory's death last year. Kaylynn, who was battered on a bus on her way home from school in October 2022, demanded the First Minister to act urgently to prevent further tragedies. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. In the letter, Vicky, 38, wrote: "How many more children have to die? "Kayden Moy's death is not a tragedy - it's a failure."
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Drummer of influential rock band faces sickening new charges in child pornography case
The former drummer of Canadian indie rock The New Pornographers band has been hit with more disturbing allegations in a child pornography case. Joe Seiders,44, was arrested in April after he was accused of recording an 11-year-old boy using the bathroom in a Chick-fil-A restaurant in California. Now, two more minors have come forward and slammed Seiders with more unsettling accusations. The drummer has been additionally charged with committing lewd acts with a minor by force or fear, using or coercing a minor to produce child pornography, possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, and invasion of privacy. On Monday April 7 earlier this year, Seiders was accused of recording the young boy with his cell phone while he used the restroom of the Palm Desert Chick-fil-A. Then two days later, the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station received a second report at the same restaurant of a man following young boys in and out of the bathroom. When deputies arrived they found Seiders and he was arrested. After serving search warrants, the Sheriff's Office linked Seiders to both incidents alongside additional crimes, including child pornography. 'Evidence was located implicating him in the two reported incidents, along with additional crimes, including possessing child pornography,' the news release read. The New Pornographers has yet to address the new allegations against the drummer. Following Seiders' initial charges making headlines, his bandmates released a joint statement and said they have cut ties with the drummer. 'Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified, and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders — and we have immediately severed all ties with him,' they wrote in a joint Instagram post shared on Thursday. 'Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.' Seiders has been a part of the Canadian indie rock band since 2014. The group was first formed in 1997, and the current members are Neko Case, Carl Newman, John Collins, Todd Fancey and Kathryn Calder. Their former members include Destroyer frontman Dan Bejar and Grammy nominee Kurt Dahle. New Pornographers performed at Coachella in 2007 and 2011. When their longtime drummer Dahle left in 2014, he was replaced by Seiders. Seiders toured with the band and performed on their three most recent studio albums.
