An Oklahoma family allegedly glued a 7-year-old girl's mouth shut, beat her with a broom, and bound her legs with zip ties leading up to her death, say police.
Violet Mitchell of Midwest City, Oklahoma died in August. Her parents, Anthony Yonko and Lisa Mitchell, brought their 29-pound daughter to the hospital for treatment for what they claimed was complications from the flu.
But an autopsy allegedly revealed Violet died as a result of a "failure to thrive," a medical examiner determined, according to the disturbing report obtained by KOCO-TV Tuesday.
Violet arrived on the autopsy table with "sunken eyes, wearing a diaper that was otherwise sized for a 3-year-old," and a nipple from a baby bottle lodged into her intestine, the medical examiner wrote. The girl also suffered injuries to her face, arms and legs.
Violet's cousin alleged they witnessed Mitchell beating the girl with a broom and binding her legs to her crib with zip ties, the police report read, according to the station. The cousin said they also tried to free Violet's lips when they were glued shut by her mother.
The ME described the victim as "essentially skin on bones," according to KOKH-TV.
Yonko, his brother David Yonko, Mitchell, and her sister Tiffany Mitchell, have all pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. Authorities did not elaborate on a motive.
