5 Things to Know: The Sepsis Death of the Minnesota Boy Whose Parents Allegedly Refused to Go to a Doctor

The 7-year-old's adoptive parents are accused of gross neglect, and authorities say they may have fled to New Zealand

By Chris Harris

n 2015, the body of 7-year-old Seth Johnson was found on a mattress with vomit stains inside his parents’ Plymouth, Minnesota, home. A medical examiner determined that Seth succumbed to sepsis, which ravaged his emaciated body for several weeks after his appendix ruptured.

Last month, child neglect charges were filed against Timothy and Sarah Johnson, who adopted Seth in 2010 when he was 3. This week, the Johnsons were no-shows for a bail hearing in Minnesota’s Hennepin County. Why? Police allege they’re halfway around the world in New Zealand, where they’ve been for weeks.

Here are five things to know about the case.

1. Seth’s Body Allegedly Showed Signs of Prolonged Abuse

According to court records obtained by PEOPLE, an autopsy revealed bruising across much of Seth’s body. His legs were also covered in blisters.

In addition, medical examiners determined Seth — who died March 30, 2015 — had suffered a brain injury and was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. They detected contusions on his face, forearms, chest, buttocks and lower abdomen. The boy also had two large lesions on the back of each heel that were consistent with pressure ulcers.

The Johnsons allegedly told investigators Seth wasn’t acting like himself in the weeks before his death, barely eating and, at one point, throwing himself down the stairs and hitting his head. The couple said they never sought medical attention for the boy, fearing doctors would prescribe medications for him.

2. The Johnsons Were Not Arrested, But Were Mailed a Summons Instead

Court records confirm that because the Johnsons were charged with misdemeanors and not felonies, they were never physically detained for their alleged crime.

Instead of putting them in handcuffs, Hennepin County authorities sent a criminal summons to the couple’s home on Jan. 3.

Because they weren’t arrested, they had no bail. According to officials, bail likely would have been set at $12,000 each during the hearing the couple missed on Tuesday.

3. Seth Died While His Parents Allegedly Attended a Wedding

Investigators allege that as Seth’s conditioned worsened, his parents denied him the medical treatment that would have saved his life. Detectives allege the couple told them they have “issues with going to doctors.”

Police allege that the Johnsons researched Seth’s symptoms online instead, diagnosing him with post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury. The couple allegedly treated him with vitamins and smeared “medical honey” over his wounds, court records state.

During Seth’s last days, police allege the Johnsons were out of town, attending a wedding. They allegedly left the boy with an older sibling, returning to find him nearly lifeless. Rather than call 911, the couple allegedly “prayed for his health.”

The following morning, they found Seth, who was wearing a diaper and a long-sleeved shirt, unresponsive on his mattress and called 911.

4. The Johnsons Launched a Crowdfunding Campaign to Pay For Seth’s Funeral

Soon after Seth died, his parents launched an online fundraising campaign to help pay for his funeral, raising $7,000.

In a message posted to their crowdfunding campaign (which has since been removed from the YouCaring site), the Johnsons wrote that they “couldn’t walk” and “didn’t know how to get out of bed” in the weeks after Seth’s death.

“And you came. You stood by us, you took us by the hand, you fed us, watched over our children, loved them, cleaned our home, prayed for us — over us,” the message on the site read.

“You came together as the body of Christ and provided for us spiritually, emotionally, physically — financially. In this time of devastation, weakness, heartbrokenness…. You came. We are thankful for you. We needed you. We need you. And our broken hearts are bursting with the love you have poured into us.”

5. Are The Johnsons On The Run? Authorities Aren’t Sure

Currently, police are not speculating on why the Johnsons went to New Zealand, saying it’s premature to tell if the trip was planned ahead of time or if it was merely an attempt by the couple to escape.

“At some point in the last couple of weeks, they left and went to New Zealand,” Chuck Laszewski, spokesperson for the Hennepin County Prosecutor’s Office, told PEOPLE. “A judge ordered a bench warrant to be issued to bring them back.”

Timothy and Sarah Johnson face 12 months in jail if convicted. The county attorney’s office began investigating Seth’s death in December 2015. Neither Johnson has retained an attorney.