Parents charged with murder in malnourished 8-year-old son’s death

The parents of a malnourished 8-year-old who died last year were arrested Monday for alleged complicity in their son’s death.

Michael Ransom, 33, and Sharay Barney, 29, were charged with murder, manslaughter, manslaughter of a person under 11 years old and aggravated manslaughter, reported NBC News New York.

Their son, Joseph, was “unconscious and unresponsive with no obvious signs of trauma observed” when his mother brought him to the Montefiore Medical Center emergency room in June, according to police.

Joseph, who was autistic, was pronounced dead at the hospital. He weighed 30 pounds when he was brought to the hospital, compared to an average weight of 46 to 78 pounds for 8-year-old boys.

His death was ruled a homicide last week due to battered child syndrome.

The parents, who are from the Bronx, are now in the custody of the New York City Police Department.  

Joseph’s autopsy revealed “numerous indications” of child abuse, police said.

Police said that Barney had previously been taken to the same medical center multiple times showing indications of child abuse.