W.Va. mom arrested after teen daughter in 'emaciated, skeletal state' is found dead

MORRISVALE, W.Va. (TCD) -- A 49-year-old mother has been charged in connection with the death of her 14-year-old daughter, who was found dead in the bathroom of her home this week.

According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, on the morning of Wednesday, April 17, deputies responded to Cameo Road in reference to a teen in cardiac arrest, where they found her deceased. A complaint reviewed by West Virginia Metro News says the girl’s "physical appearance was shocking with an obvious emaciated, skeletal state."

The sheriff’s office said investigators believe the victim had an undiagnosed eating disorder but hadn’t received any medical treatment in the last four years.

According to West Virginia Metro News, the victim’s grandmother told investigators the girl hadn’t been eating in the last several months, and her physical health worsened to the point where she couldn’t perform everyday tasks on her own. The grandmother also reportedly said the teen hadn’t been to school since around 2019 or 2020, nor had she left the house much in the last four years. The sheriff’s office said they believe the victim was being home-schooled.

The state medical examiner’s office will perform an autopsy.

Officials arrested the child’s mother, Julie Miller, on a charge of child neglect resulting in death. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible.

Miller remains held in the West Virginia Regional Jail on $250,000 bail.

Metro News reports the investigator referred to the victim as K.M. in the complaint and wrote, "With the overwhelmingly visible conditions of K.M.’s body and the clear and distinct physical problems, Miller failed to obtain any medical treatment for K.M. for at least the last four years."

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