2nd guilty plea in Wash. neglect case; boy, 16, weighed 54 pounds

CENTRALIA, Wash. (AP) – The second of two suspects has pleaded guilty to neglecting a boy who was found at 16 years old to weigh only 54 pounds.
 
The Centralia Chronicle reports that 43-year-old Mary Foxworth pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree criminal mistreatment in Lewis County Superior Court.
 
Her husband, 45-year-old Anthony Foxworth, pleaded guilty Wednesday to the same charge.
 
The Centralia couple was charged in December, accused of severely neglecting one of the children in their care between 2007 and 2016.
 
Court documents show that authorities became aware of the neglect in 2016 when the couple brought the boy to a hospital. The boy was unable to talk and was diagnosed with severe malnutrition, neglect and other health issues.
 
The Foxworths initially denied any wrongdoing, saying the boy was starving himself because he was depressed.
 
They’re set to be sentenced Nov. 1. Prosecutors are seeking a 51-month prison sentence for each of them.