Mother and girlfriend charged in death of 8-year-old Martonio Wilder – body hidden in attic
Video: Family reaction of mother accused of killing her 8-year-old son
The family of a Columbus mother accused of playing a role in the death of an 8-year-old is speaking to the media for the first time.
A mother and her partner accused of killing an 8-year-old boy and hiding his body in the attic of a home have been arraigned in Franklin County Court.
According to an indictment filed Monday, a grand jury indicted both Lashanda Wilder, 32, and Johnna Lowe, 33, on charges of murder, child endangerment, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and desecration of a corpse.
Martonio Wilder’s body was found in a home in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood on Friday, June 28, after the couple called Columbus police and reported Martonio missing. They said they had not seen the 8-year-old since the night before.
Previous coverage of Martonio Wilder: Women accused of murdering their 8-year-old son that led to Amber Alert turn themselves in
Prosecutors accuse the women of committing the crimes on June 27, the day before police discovered Martonio’s body.
According to court records from Franklin County Municipal Court, where the two women were originally charged, the county medical examiner’s office found “deep pressure marks” on Martonio’s neck.
After police searched for the boy on June 28, officers brought in a dog trained to find bodies. Wilder refused to let the dog in, but police obtained a search warrant and found the boy’s body in the attic in a garbage bag inside a sleeping bag.
By that time, Wilder and Lowe had already left with their other sons, ages 3 and 9. Police briefly issued an Amber Alert for the two boys on the evening of June 28, but the boys were found unharmed. The women left the boys at Lowe’s mother’s house.
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