Starving toddler had to eat walls and nappies before he was found de@d from suspected child neglect and starvation

A starving toddler was so hungry he had to eat dry wall, paint chips and nappies before being found d£ad at his home, police said. 

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Erik Reichard’s body was covered in sores and bug bites and he weighed just 15lbs, around half the normal weight for his age. 

The child, 2, was found by cops at his family home in Tell City, Indiana, after they had been called by his parents who said they hadn’t seen him alive for around 14 hours before they raised the alarm that he was unresponsive. 

Little Erik was pronounced de@d at the scene despite the best efforts of cops who performed CPR on the living room floor on April 3. 

His parents Trevor Reichard-Hayes, 39, and Katherine Carter, 31, were arrested and have since been charged with murd£r, neglect of a dependent resulting in de@th, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and neglect of a dependent. 
 

Two other kids were removed from the house, police said. 

A spokesman said: “Scenes such as these are extremely difficult for the officers, first responders, and partner agencies involved. 

“We respectfully ask for and appreciate your prayers and support for the investigators as well as the victim’s family during this difficult time. This investigation remains ongoing.” 

Police said Erik appeared to be extremely skinny, malnourished and had over 40 sores or bug bites on his skin. Carter told the arresting officers the boy had been “eating his diapers”. They suspected this was due to hunger, it was reported.

After being granted a search warrant, cops who entered the property were faced with faeces on the floor, nappies scattered about and human waste that had built up for days or even weeks, local media reported. 

In one of the children’s rooms, there was a small bed, pieces of diaper and drywall debris all over the floor. There was also a training toilet that was “full of faeces in urine” that appeared not to have been cleaned in days or perhaps weeks. 

During an autopsy, officials removed material from the child’s system that was consistent with the drywall, paint chips or spackling from the home, along with nappy material. 

Carter called herself a “digital content creator” on Facebook, while Reichard-Hayes’ LinkedIn revealed a background spanning years in the United States Army. His listed occupations included infantryman, pathfinder, team machine gunner in Afghanistan, company armorer and field material tester.