'Looking like a skeleton': Mom 'nonchalant' as 3-month-old baby boy starved to death in 'unclean and dangerous' roadside hotel filled with weapons and cockroaches

A Texas parent volition walk respective decades down bars for allowing her 3-month-old babe lad to starve to decease astatine a edifice successful Waco.

On Thursday morning, Skylynn Tuerk, 34, pleaded blameworthy to 1 number each of murder, wounded to a child, endangering a child, and possession of methamphetamine, a controlled substance.

In turn, 54th District Court Judge Susan Kelly sentenced Tuerk to 40 years successful situation for the execution charge, 40 years for the wounded to a kid charge, and 2 years apiece for each of the remaining charges. Her sentences were assessed to tally concurrently, meaning they volition tally astatine the aforesaid time. She volition beryllium eligible for parole aft serving astatine slightest 20 years.

The suspect volition besides person recognition for 633 days spent successful pretrial detention, the tribunal determined.

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"We are grateful that this Defendant accepted work and received a condemnation successful the precocious extremity of the punishment range, portion besides removing the risks inherent successful the proceedings and appeals process," McLennan County Assistant District Attorney Tara Avants said successful a connection provided to Waco-based ABC affiliate KXXV. "Legally, determination is lone a 10-year quality betwixt a beingness condemnation and a 40-year sentence. The horrific and irresponsible quality of this Defendant's behaviour near america unwilling to hold to immoderate little punishment."

The behaviour successful question came to airy connected Nov. 29, 2023.

Police were called to the New Road Inn, a edifice located on the frontage roadworthy of Interstate 35. There, the babe Jacob Jeremiah Amon Harris was recovered dormant — the effect of prolonged starvation.

Responding to a telephone astir an unresponsive child, the lad was described arsenic "starving and looking similar a skeleton," according to tribunal records obtained by Waco-based CBS and Telemundo affiliate KWTX.

In section media accounts, the unfortunate was wide referred to arsenic "Baby JJ."

In the filthy quarters, constabulary rescued Baby JJ's then-3-year-old sister. At the country of the crime, officers described uncovering cockroaches, earthy meat, knives and swords, and drugs successful a backpack.

In January 2024, Tuerk and the boy's father, Charles Devin Harris, 28, were indicted connected aggregate counts related to Baby JJ's death.

The probe into the household was brought connected by a 3rd enactment making a study astir the child's payment to Child Protective Services.

The CPS caller expressed concerns Baby JJ had not enactment connected capable value since his commencement and described Tuerk arsenic "nonchalant" astir the issue. Meanwhile, Harris is alleged to person been "playing video games the full time" the different idiosyncratic was successful the room.

Arriving the adjacent time — and by past excessively precocious — officers described the household arsenic surviving successful "unclean and dangerous" conditions, noting the bladed weapons were "within the scope of the 3-year-old girl."

Officers besides said determination was nary "real nutrient for the children" kept successful the "unsanitary" edifice country "and determination was nary babe look for Jacob," according to tribunal documents. Rather, constabulary alleged, the "only nutrient recovered for the children were a mates of foodstuff boxes and effect snacks."

The father's lawsuit is inactive successful the pretrial stage.

Tuerk's defence lawyer provided a connection to section aggregate media outlets aft the sentencing hearing.

"This was a tragic situation, and Skylynn was devastated by the nonaccomplishment of her child," Jonathan Sibley said. "Skylynn and her household inactive grieve for the nonaccomplishment of their child, but are pleased to enactment this portion of the process down them. Skylynn and her household not lone mislaid a loved subordinate of their family, but, this household volition besides person to woody with losing Skylynn for a play of clip portion she is incarcerated. Skylynn's household was represented successful tribunal contiguous to enactment Skylynn and I'm definite they volition proceed to enactment her successful immoderate mode they tin portion she is incarcerated."