A couple from Pennsylvania, Drew and Amy Hoenigke, have been apprehended and charged after the pair waited three days to alert officials about their newborn son’s death, according to PEOPLE.
The newborn, who was birthed at the home, lived for just a few days as officials claim the parent’s utilized herbs and teas as opposed to
“modern medicine”
in an attempt to take care of the baby boy. According to the attorney general,
“Shortly after the birth, the baby showed signs of severe distress. Messages from the defendants described the baby as struggling to breathe and ‘turning blue.'”
“In a failed attempt to aid the child, Amy Hoenigke and Meckes utilized a peppermint oil infuser and attempted to create a makeshift breathing tube from a water bottle. Without proper medical care, the baby died approximately two days after birth,”
the attorney general went on to write.
“Experts believe that the caretakers should have immediately sought medical care when the child began showing signs of distress and difficulty breathing,”
the attorney general continued.
“The inaction of the defendants resulted in needless suffering, and made it impossible for the baby to survive,”
the attorney general added.
Police said the couple moved to a
“rural”
region in an attempt to live a holistic lifestyle. 34-year-old Amy Hoenigke informed officials that she and Drew
“do not live a conventional lifestyle and choose not to pay attention to things like timeframes or even keep track of the days.”
Authorities discovered the infant boy’s
“decomposing”
body on Jan. 20 and next to his body officials discovered a box that contained
“remnants of burned herbs.”
The 31-year-old father told The Daily Beast that they didn’t alert authorities due to their skepticism of
“modern medicine.”
They were also concerned about their 2-year-old daughter who was unvaccinated. The father added that their daughter was birthed at home and lacked a birth certificate.
The couple has been charged with a slew of charges including, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. The couple has since been released on a $150,000 bond and is currently awaiting their pre-trail in January.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
