January trial set for Richmond parents accused of locking boy in closet
RICHMOND, Ind. — The trial of Richmond parents accused of routinley locking a pre-teen boy in a closet has been rescheduled for Jan. 9.
Joshua Michael Hand and Henrietta Victoria Hand, both 45, are each charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison.
The charges, filed against the Hands in March, allege their actions "consisted of cruel and or unusual confinement in an area not intended for human habitation" that subjected the child to "nightmares and/or night terrors and/or psychological injuries."
The court documents say the boy, who had apparently been adopted by the Hands, was confined in a closet in the couple's bedroom at times between Jan. 1, 2021, and March 1.
A Richmond police officer, called to the couple's South 16th Street home with Department of Child Services officials on March 1, determined the closet door had been "barricaded" with a wooden post placed in wall brackets.
The officer reported the closet contained "a severely deteriorated mattress with mostly exposed springs, and a blanket."
Joshua Hand reportedly told the officer he routinely locked the boy in the closet from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Both parents said they confined the child in the closet because of earlier incidents that saw the youth "get out of the house" and, on two occasions, take "the family vehicle on a drive."
The boy told investigators he was kept in the closet 'every day, all day long."
He said he did not feel safe living with the Hands, adding he did not want to discuss his experiences in their home because he feared it would result in "bad dreams again."
A teenager living in the house told investigators the boy had banged on the walls of the closet "to the point where the walls were cracked."
She said the child was at times allowed to have toys in the closet, but that they were taken away at night.
The teen said the child was in the closet "often... because It was not safe for them to have (the boy) out by himself because he sometimes tried to steal things."
She also said he ate his meals in the closet "occasionally."
The Hands were arrested after the felony neglect charges were filed March 13 in Wayne Circuit Court. They were apparently released from the Wayne County jail after posting $75,000 bonds.
Their trial had been set for Nov. 14, but this week was rescheduled for January.
Court records reflect no previous charges against either of the Hands.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Trial reset for Richmond parents accused of locking boy in closet
