Wyoming Couple on Trial for Starving Adopted Son to 54 Pounds A Wyoming fire chief and his wife face trial after their 13-year-old adopted son was hospitalized weighing 54 pounds. The boy was diagnosed with cachexia. A Wyoming fire chief and his wife are on trial after being accused of severely starving their 13-year-old adopted son, who weighed only 54 pounds when he was hospitalized in June 2025. The trial for Darrick, 49, began on Tuesday, September 22, with a medical expert testifying about the boy's condition. Medical Testimony Reveals Severe StarvationDr. Sirotnak, a medical expert, testified that the victim was diagnosed with cachexia, a complex metabolic syndrome characterized by progressive involuntary loss of body mass. He noted that the boy was so thin that he resembled a concentration camp survivor and looked extremely ill. Sirotnak stated that common sense would tell you that if you saw a child or patient who looked like this, they needed care.The boy was taken to Colorado Children's Hospital for medical treatment on June 24, 2025, where it was determined that his malnourishment was not a recent issue. According to the affidavit, the teen told police following the couple's arrests that he was only allowed to eat one meal a day since there was no point in giving him food. He was fed one to three times a day and was sometimes given peanut butter sandwiches or PB and J sandwiches, and occasionally ham sandwiches or what they ate.Parents Face Charges and Previous PleaAngela, 49, reportedly told investigators that it was overwhelming for her to take care of the victim and another younger child while Darrick, 49, was so busy with work. Authorities added that Darrick accepted responsibility for the boy's condition while speaking to police. The couple allegedly starved the victim, who they took in six years ago, because of the way that he behaved, according to their affidavits viewed by Cowboy State Daily.The teen told a representative at a Youth Development Center that he was treated that way because he wasn't very nice and did stuff he shouldn't have done such as wetting the bed and picking at himself. Authorities learned of the boy's condition in June 2025 when Angela dropped him off at the center and told him to tell a representative there that he needed somewhere to live.Angela previously pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse. As part of her plea deal, she is expected to be sentenced to 15 to 17 years in prison. However, her sentencing hearing has not yet taken place.Other Child Abuse Cases EmergeIn a separate case, a mother and father in Michigan have been arrested after being accused of nearly starving and torturing two of their children to death. Auturo Bazan-Perez and Dulce Crystal Bazan Castillo have both been charged with multiple counts of first-degree child abuse and child torture for the way they allegedly treated their 9-year-old and 11-year-old children.Additionally, a Louisiana couple has been arrested on suspicions of neglect and cruelty to a minor after the death of their severely malnourished child. On January 1, authorities responded to a medical crisis call involving a juvenile at around 9 p.m. at a gas station in Geismar, Louisiana, according to a press release shared via Facebook.