Child Was Abused, Tortured By Parents For Years Before Death: Chesco DA

CHESTER COUNTY — Chester County authorities will pursue the death penalty against the father and stepmother who officials say brutally tortured their 12-year-old daughter for months leading up to her death, the District Attorney's Office announced Thursday.

The revelation comes with upgraded first degree murder charges and related counts in the case against Rendell Hoagland, 52, and the victim's de facto stepmother, Cindy Warren, 45, both of West Caln Township.

The progress of the investigation has revealed that torture of 12-year-old Malinda Hoagland had gone on for years leading up to her death in May.

“Information from the Coroner’s Office and medical experts demonstrates a years-long pattern of extensive torture and abuse," Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement Thursday. "Moreover, text messages and hundreds of videos show that the Defendants engaged in a calculated and systematic method of terrorizing, manipulating, and dehumanizing Malinda. We will get justice for Malinda."

The child was pulled out of public school in late Nov. 2023 and shifted to a home cyber school. Teachers had routinely checked on Malinda's well being before and after this, investigators found, as Malinda had 10 excused and 25 unexcused absences from school during that fall.

In the several months that followed, Hoagland and Warren severely abused and starved her inside their home on the 200 block of Reid Road in West Caln, the District Attorney's Office said.

But her abuse began long before that, police said their latest investigation has found.

Dozens of videos found on both Hoagland's and Warren's phones showed that they ankle-cuffed Malinda to furniture, verbally berated her through an in-camera speaker system, demanded physical strenuous exercise like squats and running in place, and denied her meals for various perceived slights, police said.

On May 4, at around 7:28 p.m., Rendell Hoagland called 911 after Malinda passed out. Medics immediately noticed that many things were "gravely wrong," with Malinda, the DA said, including that she was severely malnourished and had several broken bones. She weighed only 50 pounds, was covered in bruises, and was suffering from severe organ failure, police said.

She was taken to Paoli Hospital Trauma Center, where she died at 9:58 p.m.

Hoagland and Warren were arrested on May 6 and originally charged with attempted criminal homicide, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. First, second, and third degree murder charges, in addition to involuntary servitude charges, were filed this week with the latest discoveries in the investigation.

Anyone with information on the case should call Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.

Authorities reminded residents in a statement that if they ever have concerns about child safety, they should call Childline at 1-800-932-0313. Reports can be anonymous.