Parents used 'man-made straitjacket' and dog cage to 'confine' adopted daughters

A parent and begetter successful Michigan who were already sentenced to a decennary successful situation for starving and abusing their adopted daughters successful Tennessee are present facing further clip down bars aft pleading to further acts of cruelty successful their location state.

Jessica Klimp, 45, appeared successful Wexford County Circuit Court wherever she pleaded nary contention to 2 counts of first-degree kid abuse, authorities announced. Her husband, Jason Klimp, 45, pleaded blameworthy to the aforesaid charges successful March.

The couple, some of whom person since had their parental rights terminated, starved their daughters and kept them locked up successful canine cages and a "man-made straitjacket," among different things.

According to a news release from the Michigan Attorney General's Office, the parent and begetter were extradited from Tennessee past twelvemonth to look these further charges aft authorities investigators uncovered grounds of systemic torture involving 2 of their 4 adopted children.

The Michigan probe began successful earnest aft the mates was arrested during a enactment successful Tennessee successful February 2024. Following that arrest, the Michigan State Police executed a hunt warrant astatine the Klimps' Wexford County home.

According to the Attorney General's Office, authorities discovered a "man-made straitjacket" successful a bedroom, on with information alarms installed connected the chamber door. Perhaps astir disturbingly, investigators said they besides recovered "dog cages that appeared to person been utilized to confine the children" wrong the home.

"Kids merit to turn up successful a loving location escaped from abuse," Michigan Attorney General Nessel said successful a connection pursuing the plea. "The cruelty that these children endured is heartbreaking, and portion nary result tin erase the trauma, I anticipation these convictions volition supply a consciousness of justness and healing."

As previously reported by Law&Crime, the probe into the adoptive parents began erstwhile authorities successful Fentress County, Tennessee, responded to the family's location aft 1 of their adopted daughters collapsed. Jason Klimp reportedly placed the kid successful a acold ablution successful an effort to aftermath her up earlier paramedics arrived.

The 12-year-old miss had suffered truthful overmuch neglect and maltreatment that archetypal responders initially believed she was betwixt 6 and 8 years old. A paramedic testified astatine a erstwhile proceeding that the girl's assemblage somesthesia was a dangerously debased 95.6 degrees and her tegument was discolored.

The 12-year-old and her sister were severely underweight owed to a fare of lone "liquefied food" from a bottle. The 12-year-old aboriginal told constabulary they were forced to devour that mode due to the fact that they "ate excessively overmuch and would get sick."

Investigators besides learned that the mates would severely punish the kids for things similar wetting the bed, forcing them to slumber connected integrative totes successful a 60-degree basement without blankets. A full of 8 children were surviving successful the location astatine the clip — 4 biologic and 4 adopted.

In October 2025, a Tennessee justice sentenced the mates to 10 years down bars for aggravated kid abuse. They were subsequently returned to Michigan to look the Wexford County charges.

Jason Klimp is scheduled to beryllium sentenced successful the 28th Circuit Court connected June 16, portion a sentencing day for Jessica Klimp has not yet been set. Their Michigan situation presumption volition beryllium served concurrently with their 10-year Tennessee sentences.