Did the mother and girlfriend want to blame the child?
Video: New details revealed about the death of 8-year-old Martonio Wilder
Rachelle Knight and Seia Glover speak after the court hearing on the death of 8-year-old Martonio Wilder.
New details emerged on Wednesday about the death of eight-year-old Martonio Wilder, including that his mother and her friend, who is accused of murder, initially tried to falsely blame one of the boy’s brothers for the killing.
Lashanda Wilder, 32, and Johnna Lowe, 33, appeared for arraignment Wednesday before Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mike Thompson. Bail was set at $2 million for Wilder and $1.25 million for Lowe.
Wilder and Lowe are charged with murder, child endangerment, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and desecration of a corpse in connection with Martonio’s death.
Martonio was found in a garbage bag inside another container in the attic of a home in the 1000 block of Omsead Avenue on June 28. Wilder had reported Martonio missing earlier that day and said she had not seen him since the night before.
Assistant District Attorney Scott Sugarman said Lowe spoke to detectives the day after her arrest and admitted she and Wilder “made up” a story about Martonio’s escape to cover up his death.
Sugarman said Lowe initially told investigators that one of Martonio’s brothers killed the boy with a rock, but later admitted that was a lie.
During her questioning, investigators said, Lowe told investigators she and Wilder hit Martonio with a crutch on June 26. Lowe said the two also had a history of using “unusual punishments,” including withholding food from the boy and locking him in a closet.
Sugarman said there was evidence that Martonio was malnourished and had been physically abused for an extended period of time.
Lowe also reportedly admitted that she and Wilder wrapped a cord around Martonio’s neck, Sugarman said.
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.
AUDIO: “Where is my child?” Hear the 911 call from a mother accused of murdering her son Martonio Wilder
An autopsy preliminarily determined that Martonio died of deep compression wounds to the neck. A final autopsy report has not yet been released by the Franklin County Coroner.
Columbus police said that after searching the surrounding areas and the home, a cadaver dog was brought in to assist in the search. Police said Wilder did not cooperate, took two of her children and left the home with Lowe.
The children were eventually found at the home of one of Lowe’s relatives. Wilder and Lowe were arrested later that evening.
Lowe’s mother, Mary Johnson, is also charged with obstruction of justice in the case. Her first court date is scheduled for July 22.
Thompson set Lowe’s bail at $1.25 million and ordered that if released, she be barred from having any contact with Wilder or unsupervised contact with minors, including her own two children.
Wilder’s bail was set at $2 million, with similar conditions in place if she were released.
Wilder, Lowe and Johnson are all being held in the Franklin County Jail.
New records shed light on concerns about Wilders’ upbringing
Franklin County Juvenile Court records show that after Lashanda Wilder’s arrest, a motion was filed for temporary custody of her two other children, boys ages nine and three.
The motion states that Wilder had been working for Franklin County Children Services since May 2022. At the time, Wilder was reportedly living in a family home with her children and had been a resident there for approximately five months.
During Wilder’s interactions with child welfare services, she was reportedly observed yelling and cursing at the older children, and it was reported that she was observed cursing at one of the children, the motion states. The name of the cursed child was redacted from the document.
Wilder is also said to have said that she was “done” with one of her children and wanted to give up custody. The child’s name was again redacted.
The child welfare agency has previously stated that the agency is working to find the best place for Wilders’ children to live, with their safety and well-being as its top priority.
Family says boy was “just bones” when he died
Rachelle Knight, Lashanda Wilder’s aunt, and Seia Glover, Martonio’s cousin, said after Wednesday’s court hearing that they were still learning details about Martonio’s death.
Knight said when the family saw Martonio’s body, he did not feel like a well-developed child.
“There was nothing there, just bones,” she said, pointing out his small size.
Knight said she wondered what Martonio was thinking when he was allegedly beaten by his mother and not given anything to eat.
“What was the baby thinking? That’s all I can think about,” Knight said.
She said she last saw Martonio on his 8th birthday in May. Knight said Lashanda Wilder called her to pick up Wilder and Lowe from a court hearing. When Knight arrived, the two women told her not to wish Martonio a happy birthday.
“She said, ‘Don’t tell him it’s his birthday, he doesn’t deserve it,'” Knight said. “They wanted me to buy her and her friend something to eat. I bought all three of them something because I know if I had brought Martonio something to eat for his birthday, he wouldn’t have had it.”
Fitness guru who combined laughter and sweating dies at 76
Here is my summer book suggestion for you
Department of Education investigates sex abuse scandal at Michigan State
About The Author
