02/03/2021
❌ 6yo James killed, while clinging on to his mother‘s car, after she told him, that she wants to abandon him in park. Boyfriend and Mother hid James‘s body, before throwing his little body in to the Ohio river ❌ Mother charged with murder.
CINCINNATI — A 6-year-old Ohio boy died after his mother attempted to abandon him in a park and then ran him over when he tried to get back in the car, court documents state.
The documents state Brittany Gosney, 29, tried to leave her son, James Robert Hutchinson, at a park in Preble County. Gosney reported the 6-year-old missing Sunday morning, but police said she later admitted what happened.
"Sadly, upon further questioning of Brittany Gosney and her boyfriend, James Hamilton, they now say that James was killed in Preble County a few days ago," police said in a statement. "The child's body was brought back to Middletown, where they live, and later put into the Ohio River."
Police said Monday that the mother "is not showing much remorse" and and has not said why she left James at the park.
During a Monday news conference, Middletown Police Chief David Birk said his detectives felt the situation was “unusual” after Brittany Gosney, James' mother, and her boyfriend James Hamilton reported James missing to police at the Middletown Police lobby Sunday morning.
The couple said he was wearing a red shirt and Batman pants, but Birk said they had conflicting stories.
Birk said it is out of the ordinary for parents to come to the police station to report a missing child. Usually, parents call 911 immediately.
He said eventually both admitted that James was dead.
On Friday, she took James and his older brother and sister, both second-graders, to Rush Run Park in Preble County, Birk said. He said she intended to leave James there, but it is unclear what she meant to do with her other children. They were unharmed.
Investigators have not said if she meant to leave James there temporarily or permanently.
At one point, James tried to get back into the car and Gosney sped away, dragging him.
Gosney returned 30 to 40 minutes later and found James dead in the parking lot of the park, according to police. The chief said Gosney and Hamilton took the body home, then waited until Saturday night, after the other children were asleep, to load James's body back into the car and drive him to the river. The next morning they reported him missing.
Both Gosney and Hamilton appeared in Middletown Municipal Court Monday and were appointed lawyers.
Gosney told the judge she had a learning disability and didn't understand what was happening. Birk said at the press conference she knows right from wrong and understood her rights.
Gosney's bond was set at $1 million. Hamilton's bond was set at $800,000. They are scheduled to appear in court again on March 8 for a preliminary hearing.
Middletown police said they were beginning the work needed to recover his body from the river.
"The river is very high and treacherous, so we will not be disclosing the exact location in hopes of avoiding another tragic incident," police said.
Gosney is charged with murder, abuse of a co**se and tampering with evidence. Hamilton, 42, is charged with abuse of a co**se and tampering with evidence.
Police said the two other children that lived with the couple have been removed from the residence.
Source: USA Today
