In Pike County, Kentucky (USA), a couple identified as Mary Hall and Jerome Norman was sentenced in April 2026 to 20 years in prison for starving three children under their care.
It all began after they obtained custody of the minors—children of Hall’s deceased sister—in 2018, but over time they isolated them in a locked room without enough food or water.
The case came to light in 2025 when one of the children arrived at school malnourished and with injuries.
According to the investigation, the level of abuse was so extreme that one child had to suck on wall insulation to stay hydrated. Both are now in prison, and the children are receiving help.