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Rib Mountain, WI – A local father faces sentencing in October after pleading guilty to horrific child neglect charges. Tristan Hull, 40, admitted to chronically neglecting his 15-year-old daughter, who was found severely malnourished, weighing only 58 pounds. His wife, Brittany Hull, is also facing charges of child neglect and abuse in an ongoing case.
The case unfolded on October 15, 2023, when Marathon County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical emergency at the Hull residence. Tristan Hull reported his daughter had stopped breathing while drinking a protein shake. Paramedics revived the girl after 25 minutes of CPR and rushed her to a local hospital, then airlifted her to another facility where she was treated for organ failure and bone marrow failure due to severe dehydration and malnutrition.
While Tristan Hull claimed his daughter had pre-existing health conditions affecting her circulation, medical professionals found no such condition that would explain her emaciated state. Hospital staff noted she gained almost five pounds in just eight days under their care.
The girl’s account to detectives painted a disturbing picture of alleged abuse. She described a drastically restricted diet compared to her siblings, claiming her stepmother forbade snacks and withheld breakfast, falsely attributing it to her ADHD. The girl also revealed that she was allowed only 16 ounces of water daily and was sometimes too weak to feed herself.
Investigators discovered locks, alarms, and surveillance cameras in the girl’s room. Footage allegedly shows the teenager forced to stand for hours with her hands raised, even while shaking and crying, with both Tristan and Brittany Hull reportedly entering the room to demand she raise her hands higher.
A family pastor corroborated the girl’s condition, noting her deteriorating health over several years and her desperate hunger during church youth group meetings. The girl remains hospitalized as she recovers.
Tristan Hull’s sentencing is scheduled for October 29th.