A Hitchcock man, Timothy Ray Ellis, has been given a 60-year prison term for the murder of his stepson, who had special needs. Cited in a horrific display of inhumanity, his stepson, Edwin Colleson, aged 43 at the time of his death, was exposed to torture and neglect within Ellis' trailer, filled with garbage.
The grim details emerged after Ellis was found guilty on Wednesday, as reported by FOX 26 Houston. Evidence presented during the trial conveyed a scene of abject squalor and cruelty: Colleson weighed a mere 68 pounds, displayed ligature marks indicative of binding on his wrists, ankles, and neck, and was found in a space barely fit for human existence. In a statement obtained by FOX 26 Houston, Ellis admitted to restraining Colleson using zip ties, rope, and even sewing up an ear wound with fishing line.
Further investigation revealed the victim was made to dwell on a shelf within the garbage-laden trailer, locked away from basic sustenance, as described through photos presented in court. The distressing conditions were such that Colleson suffered from contracted legs and was covered in bodily waste, compounded by attempted holistic remedies ineffectually administered, according to Galv News.
In deliberations, which lasted less than two hours, the jury rendered a guilty verdict. The punishment came after the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the death was due to a fatal mix of malnutrition, pneumonia, a perforated ulcer, and injuries from prolonged restraint. As conveyed by Galv News, the prosecution argued that Ellis was proud of his actions, having deliberately subjected his stepson to a tortuous death. Additionally, Ellis' wife and Colleson's mother, Billie Barnes, was previously convicted for her complicity in the abuse and is serving a sentence of 10 years in prison.
