Khaiden Hockett, 4-month old baby, was starved to death by parents, Amy Hockett and Joseph Pierson
A jury has convicted an eastern Indiana couple on charges stemming from the dehydration death of their infant son.
A Wayne County jury found 22-year-old Amy Hockett guilty of murder and neglect and 25-year-old Joseph Pierson guilty but mentally ill of reckless homicide and neglect.
Three-month-old Khaiden Hockett was found unresponsive a year ago inside the couple’s Richmond home. The cause of death was dehydration due to starvation.
Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman told jurors Khaiden was born a healthy 8 pounds, 7 ounces, but weighed just over 6 pounds at death.
Expert witnesses on Monday testified that Pierson was mildly mentally retarded, but both mental health experts said Pierson did not meet the state’s criteria for being considered insane at the time of the act.
