Greensburg, Ind.—
UPDATE: Four-year-old Payton Ettinger had a hard life. He had mental and physical disabilities because his father abused him when he was just two months old. Now, his biological father is in prison serving time for hurting his little boy.Now it's possible the mother could be sentenced to prison, too. She is accused of killing her own son. After a three-month long investigation officers found the evidence they needed to charge Courtney Tressler.
Detectives said she starved her child and that led to his death last May. Payton weighed only 12 lbs. when he died. He was 4-years-old.
"That's just awful. I couldn't imagine not feeding my kids," said resident Jennifer Bruner.
The four-year-old had lived here in Greensburg with his mother and stepfather since 2007.
Investigators claim there's proof the mother wasn't taking good care of him. His mother told police she noticed her son was losing weight but she told officers she couldn't afford to take him to the hospital.
Two days after her child died, she went twice to the hospital for her own medical reasons.
Neighbors said they just couldn't believe it.
"It is terrible. Sure it is terrible. Horrible situation for the child," said resident Rocky Blare.
The mother claimed she applied for medical assistance for her son twice but was denied. Investigators said that's not true either.
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A Greensburg woman faces charges of child neglect and reckless homicide after her four-year-old son was found dead inside her home.
The Decatur County coroner said Payton Ettinger died of malnutrition and dehydration on May 17th. His mother, Courtney Tressler, was arrested Wednesday.
According to the arrest warrant, Payton was a disabled child as the result of injuries he suffered when he was just two months old. His biological father was convicted of physically abusing him, resulting in permanent special needs.
Tressler told police she fed the child and put him back in his crib on May 17th. A few hours later, she went back to check on him and found him dead. The coroner said he found no significant amount of food in Payton's stomach.
Tressler also told police she had not taken Payton to the doctor in about three years. She did say she was aware her son was losing weight, but couldn't afford to take him to a doctor or clinic. However, investigators said she went to the hospital two days later to seek medical attention for herself.
