Four year old boy dies at the hands of his stepmother

In horrific news this afternoon a four year old boy has died whilst in the care of his stepmother.

Anna Ritchie, from Ohio in the USA, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and murder as well as child endangerment after holding four year old Austin Cooper in a scalding hot bath for more than 20 minutes. She then put the boy in pyjamas and into bed, reportedly to ‘teach him a lesson’ after he didn’t want to take a bath.

According to The Washington Post, Ms Ritchie and the boys father, Robert Ritchie, took over guardianship of Austin in January.

Paramedics said the injury would have had a 95% survival rate had they attended the scene immediately.

Four-year-old boy died after stepmother held him in a scalding bath as ‘punishment’ https://t.co/Wye0F639cj pic.twitter.com/t1N8lkUep8

— 7News Yahoo7 (@Y7News) May 10, 2016

The boys father made the call to 911 the next morning after finding him non responsive in his bed.

The death has been ruled as homicide by the coroner.

We are sending all of our love and thoughts to this little boys family, what an awful story.

Main image source: Facebook

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21 Comments

- - mom183717 said
  - 29 Jun 2016
    7:14 pm
What a f wit disgusting human being!

- - mom19782016 said
  - 29 Jun 2016
    12:30 pm
Oh my gosh, this is horrific. That poor little boy, my heart goes out to him. What a cruel woman, I hope they throw the book at her. RIP little angel.

- - mom166636 said
  - 13 May 2016
    10:13 pm
God bless you little one may you be at peace in God’s care

- - mom90758 said
  - 11 May 2016
    6:20 pm
I can’t read these things. That woman makes me sick. Poor little boy!

- - Nas01 said
  - 11 May 2016
    9:56 am
What a tragic tragic story. I hope she gets life. RIP little angel.

- - mom81879 said
  - 11 May 2016
    7:47 am
Such an awful story! How these monsters try and justify their actions on these helpless little human beings is disgusting! Trying to teach him a lesson….really you old witch!?!? Well you sure did show him, I hope you rot in jail forever!

- - mom134803 said
  - 11 May 2016
    7:22 am
No words for this. So evil and sick !!

- - mom184685 said
  - 11 May 2016
    12:18 am
Absolutely a monster…she should get the death penalty…but should be boiled to death…let the punishment meet her crime…I have no mercy or sympathy for a person who tortures a innocent child …..

- - pastosy said
  - 10 May 2016
    8:47 pm
How can people do this to child? I hate reading these as I have two kids I love and can’t understand how anyone can be so evil

- - meedee said
  - 10 May 2016
    8:42 pm
What a sick woman. I honestly think that people who are convicted of such crimes should be sterilized …male and female. They should not be able to have further children.
Its disgusting if the Father was aware of her bad treatment of his child.
And i feel so sorry for the Mother who I guess must feel so sorry that she lost custody. Unless he was facing abuse there also. *sigh*

- - june11 said
  - 10 May 2016
    8:34 pm
Rest in peace little man!! She should be gaoled for life – never released.
He didn’t deserve to suffer undesribable excruiating pain he would have no matter what he had/hadn’t done. How could she bear to hear him screaming?

- - Tinarh said
  - 10 May 2016
    7:49 pm
That precious precious little boy. No child should have their life ended and in such terror and pain. I pray they use the full force of the law to teach this woman and other predators like her that children are to be loved and treasured not abused and tortured.

- - rachelvk said
  - 10 May 2016
    7:45 pm
This is just awful. I hope this woman is severely punished for this atrocious act.

- - mom58115 said
  - 10 May 2016
    7:34 pm
This is about as callous and cruel as one can get. To hold that little boy there for 20 minutes is sheer cruelty – he must have been in absolute agony and she would have known this. I do hope she gets as tough a sentence as is allowed and hope that she spends the rest of her life with her actions on her mind. God Bless this little fella and may he rest in peace. Absolutely harrowing.

- - mom56312 said
  - 10 May 2016
    7:27 pm
This is heart breaking, if you dont want to be the primary carer of a step child while your parner is out, leave the parent of the child do not take your anger out on a little kid… I just read the full article to do with this on another site and. I can not believe a person could be this heartless. The other article stated if she had of called emergancy services after she noticed the damage done the childs life could of been saved.. Lock her up for life.. Life for a life i say..