Jury finds father guilty in the starvation death of daughter in Dent County, Mo.

By KY3 Staff

SALEM, Mo. (KY3) - A jury found a Dent County father guilty in the starving death of his adopted daughter.

On Wednesday, the jury returned a verdict of second-degree murder and neglect of a child against Randall Abney. A judge set sentencing for November 18. His wife, Susan Abney, pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case.

In October 2020, Dent County sheriff’s deputies responded to the Abney house for a report of a girl unconscious. They say they noticed Josie Ann Abney was very thin. Susan Abney told them the child hadn’t been eating much. Josie Ann later died at the Salem Memorial District Hospital.

Investigators say the girl, ten years old, weighed about 39 pounds. A typical child at this age weighs around 70 pounds.

According to investigators, Susan Abney told them she was too scared to take Josie Ann to the doctor sooner. Investigators found a lock on the refrigerator, and food was kept out of Josie Ann’s reach.