Four members of a Joplin, Missouri family pleaded not guilty this week to felony child abuse and neglect charges tied to the discovery of a severely malnourished 12-year-old girl who escaped their home earlier this month. Crystal Ross, 46, Shane Ross, 50, Hannah Ross, 25, and Megan Ross, 19, entered their pleas on charges that also include misdemeanor animal neglect and abandonment counts.
According to court records cited by KOAM News Now, all four defendants intend to apply for public defenders, and their preliminary arraignments were scheduled for Aug. 12. The case traces back to Aug. 9, when the child, who has special needs, was reported missing in Joplin.
The girl was found roughly two and a half hours after being reported missing, wandering near Main and B streets, according to Law & Crime. She stood approximately 4 feet tall, weighed only 50 pounds, and was wearing only a diaper. She reportedly escaped through a rear exit that had been obstructed by trash, fencing, and a plastic pool.
A House Officers Called “Horrors”
The family's home at 610 East Pool Street was described as a “house of horrors,” the outlet reported. The girl, who has autism, reportedly slept in a kennel for nearly or possibly two years, according to Us Weekly's reporting on the case.
Family members told police they used the kennel to prevent the girl from hurting family members, including threats to kill someone or burn the house, per the court documents. According to court records, Shane Ross told investigators the girl was his biological niece, whom the family adopted about a decade ago after her biological father lost custody.
The child had not attended school for at least five years, the outlet's reporting states. Family members reportedly admitted to police that they had opted against placing the child in professional residential care facilities.
Dozens of Animals Found Alongside the Girl
The same search that led responders to the missing child involved officers, railroad workers, and a drone, according to the reporting. That search ultimately led officers back to the residence, where they discovered conditions far beyond what anyone expected to find.
Authorities discovered about 80 animals — including dogs, cats, rabbits, poultry, turtles, and a pig — living in filthy conditions alongside dead animals on the property. The surviving animals were surrendered to the Joplin Humane Society, per the same reporting. Responding officers had reported strong odors of spoiling food, feces, and ammonia throughout the 1,300-square-foot house.
Following her rescue, the girl was found safe and receiving care as the criminal investigation continues. It remains an open question how the child could go without school enrollment for five years without triggering a welfare intervention, and whether child protective services had prior contact with the family during her decade in their care. According to the Missouri Department of Social Services, its Children's Division compiles statewide child-abuse and neglect data in an annual report for Fiscal Year 2024.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 568.060, abuse or neglect of a child causing serious physical or emotional injury is a Class B felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison, or a Class A felony carrying 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment depending on aggravating factors, according to Justia Law's summary of the statute. All four defendants were detained without bail.
Cases like this one are not isolated within Missouri's correctional system. State data show that incarcerated individuals serving sentences for child abuse or sexual offenses against minors made up roughly 17 percent of the state's total institutional prison population as of late 2021, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections, with male offenders accounting for 97 percent of that population.
Local prosecutors have signaled that additional charges may be filed. For now, the four defendants await their Aug. 26 bond-review hearings while the girl remains safe and receiving care.
