A teenage girl died after being starved by her parents and locked into a room so she could not get out and eat, according to police in Iowa.
Des Moines police said that they have arrested Joseph and Nicole Finn, after the two were accused of forcing 16-year-old Natalie Finn to wear a diaper and controlled her food intake.
Joseph, 46, has been charged with 3 counts of first-degree kidnapping, 1 count of child endangerment causing serious injury and 1 count of neglect of a dependent person.
Nicole, 42, has been charged with 1 count of first-degree murder, 1 count of child endangerment resulting in death, 3 counts of first-degree kidnapping, 3 counts of child endangerment causing serious injury and 3 counts of neglect of a dependent person.
The to were booked into the Polk County Jail, and they are being held without bail.
According to the police investigation, the parents kept their children locked in a room of their home. They controlled the amount of food their kids ate, causing them to be underweight.
After Natalie crawled out of the room through a window to beg for food from a nearby convenience store, the parents boarded up the windows with wood.
Police officers who searched the home found Natalie lying on the floor and wearing an adult diaper. The house smelled of human feces and the room was soaked in urine.
Natalie was taken to a hospital, where she died of starvation.
Natalie’s two siblings were also taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released.