Latest news with #LashandaWilder
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mom and her girlfriend accused of killing boy, eight, and hiding him in plastic bags
An eight-year-old Ohio boy who was found dead in plastic bags in an attic was allegedly killed by his own mother. Martonio Wilder was discovered 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. The 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 35lb, 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 $2million bond and is scheduled to appear in court in July.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Woman charged in the murder of 8-year-old Columbus boy found in attic reaches plea agreement
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A woman indicted in the murder of an 8-year-old boy will spend at least the next 15 years in prison. Johnna Lowe, charged in the death of 8-year-old Martonio Wilder, who was found in the attic of a home on Olmstead Avenue in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood, was facing charges of murder, felonious assault, endangering children, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. 'All officers are safe' after police shooting in Gahanna Lowe, along with the boy's mother Lashanda Wilder, were indicted in the murder of Martonio Wilder, which prompted a statewide Amber Alert for two other children. For an earlier report of this story view the video player above. It was Lashanda Wilder, who called 911 on June 28, 2024 to report Martonio missing, but court records said she became uncooperative with arriving officers and left the scene with her two other children, ages 9 and 3 at the time. Columbus police eventually found the boy's body in a garbage bag inside of another sleeping bag cover and hidden in the attic of the woman's home. Recordings of the 911 at around noon that day uncovered that Lashanda Wilder said Martonio ran away and that it has happened before. But police found Martonio body at around 6:30 p.m. that evening. According to the Franklin County Coroner's Office, Martonio Wilder died from 'deep neck compression.' An Amber Alert was issued a few hours later for the other children, but they were soon located at the home of an acquaintance of Lowe. Lashanda Wilder and Lowe turned themselves in on June 29. The women reportedly came up with a plan to say Martonio ran away then waited to call police. The women also admitted to assaulting the boy other times in the past and choking him by the neck. On Thursday, Lowe pleaded guilty to murder and gross abuse of a corpse and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Lowe's mother, Mary Johnson, was also charged in the case, and is facing obstruction of justice charges. According to 911 calls, Johnson made a call to alert police that the kids were at her house five hours after the original call. Lashanda Wilder's next appearance in court, a status hearing, is scheduled for July 15. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
