Missouri Couple Charged with Starving Infant, Blaming Marijuana Use

Child Abuse and Endangerment Charges

• 👶 Braxton Blevins and Emily Catz are facing felony charges of child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child in Missouri.
• 🏥 The charges stem from the severe malnutrition, starvation, and neglect of their one-year-old son, who was hospitalized.
• ⚖️ The child abuse charge is a Class B felony carrying a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a sentencing range of 5 to 15 years.
• ⚖️ The endangering the welfare of a child charge is a Class C felony with a sentencing range of 3 to 10 years.

Allegations of Neglect and Marijuana Use

• 💨 Braxton Blevins allegedly admitted to missing infant feedings because he would smoke marijuana and fall asleep.
• 🏥 Medical records indicate the child lost significant weight during three separate periods under the parents' care, despite improving when hospitalized.
• 💉 Police found 10 to 20 unopened bags of total parental nutrition, each containing 79% of the child's daily caloric needs, in the couple's refrigerator.
• 🧼 Emily Catz allegedly struggled to keep the home clean and acknowledged not properly caring for the infant's central line and GI tube.

Legal Proceedings and Defense Strategies

• 🤝 Prosecutors will likely seek to try both parents together due to the same allegations arising from the same occurrence.
• 🗣️ However, defense attorneys might argue for separate trials, potentially to shift blame, especially given Blevins' alleged admissions.
• 🏥 Repeated hospitalizations serve as evidence that the parents were put on notice about the child's critical care needs.
• ❓ A potential defense could be arguing the child's condition was due to medical disorders, but this is complicated by Blevins' alleged confession.

Custody and Trial Timeline

• 🏠 The Missouri Division of Social Services has likely initiated a separate case concerning the children's welfare, with children potentially removed from the home.
• 😟 Blevins allegedly feared losing custody of their other child, which may have contributed to not seeking help.
• 📅 A trial for such a case could typically take approximately 12 to 18 months, heavily relying on medical testimony and records.