In Pennsylvania, a couple is facing charges, including conspiracy to commit third-degree murder and aggravated assault, for subjecting their three children, particularly their malnourished twin boys, to “multiple types of abuse.”
Joshua Dechant, 36, and Tracy Dechant, 42, are accused of mistreating the twins to the extent that they were nearly 100 pounds underweight.
The investigation into the Dechant family began when police responded to a call in January reporting a nearly naked 15-year-old boy running around in the cold. The boy, one of the twins, revealed that his stepfather forced him to walk outside as punishment, despite single-digit temperatures.
Neighbors in the Lower Macungie Township area assisted the boy and informed the authorities about the situation. Upon meeting the Dechant couple, the police found the boy’s twin in a similarly emaciated state.
Both brothers detailed the extensive abuse they endured, which included deprivation of basic necessities, being forced to walk around naked, and sharing minimal resources, as shared during a press conference attended by NBC10 Philadelphia.
Video evidence from the Dechants’ phones depicted the abuse, with footage of the boys naked outside and sleeping on the floor.
The twins also disclosed other forms of abuse, such as physical and mental violence, cold water showers, restricted mobility, and isolation from the outside world for a year.
Following a medical examination, the twins were found to weigh 53 and 55 pounds respectively, well below the average weight for their age. They were discharged from the hospital with several untreated medical conditions that could have been fatal.
The twins’ older sister, who no longer resides at home, corroborated their accounts of abuse and shared her own experiences of mistreatment by the Dechants.
The couple’s bail was set at $200,000 each, and they are scheduled for preliminary hearings on Feb. 27.
