Starved girls' father, stepmother charged

Posted on Thu, Jul. 27, 2006
Starved girls' father, stepmother charged
BY TIM POTTER
The Wichita Eagle





The father and stepmother of two small Wichita girls who were found emaciated and dehydrated last week were charged with multiple counts of child abuse this afternoon in Sedgwick County District Court.

The charges allege that the girls could have been abused since September.

The allegations filed in court say that on or between Sept. 23, 2005, and July 19, 2006, the couple did "intentionally torture, cruelly beat and inflict cruel and inhumane corporal punishment" on the two girls.

District Judge Joe Kisner set bond of $100,000 each for the couple -- Jennifer L. Wood, 27, and her husband, Alex A. Wood, 28.

That means that Jennifer Wood will have to return to jail and remain there unless she can post additional bond. She had been released on a $50,000 bond earlier this week. Alex Wood has remained in jail.

The two girls, ages 6 and 7, have been taken into protective custody after being released from a hospital.

Both Jennifer and Alex Wood are charged with two felony counts of abuse of a child.

Jennifer Wood also is charged with one count of aggravated battery, a felony.

That charge alleges that on July 20 and 21, she strangled the older girl. Police have said the girl had marks on her throat.

Assistant District Attorney Janice Fitch said the investigation is ongoing and that more charges could be filed.

For more on this story, see Friday's Wichita Eagle.








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