Alabama – In a deeply disturbing case in Alabama described by officials as one of the most haunting they’ve ever prosecuted, a 40-year-old father, identified as Kristopher M., has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison for aggravated child abuse after his infant son died from prolonged starvation and total medical neglect. The baby, identified as Karson M., was only two months old when he was taken to the hospital in September 2018—weighing less than at birth and already beyond saving. His father, Kristopher, was found guilty by a jury in August and received the maximum sentence allowed under Alabama law at the time. His wife and the baby’s mother, identified as Shirley M., was also convicted earlier in 2024 and handed the same 20-year sentence.
Karson was born in July 2018, weighing 6 pounds and 2 ounces. Two months later, he was rushed to a hospital, where doctors found that the baby had lost weight instead of gaining it, a devastating indicator of severe malnutrition. An autopsy confirmed that negligence was the cause of death and officially ruled the death a homicide. Authorities quickly learned the horror behind the numbers. During interviews with law enforcement, Kristopher admitted he had never once fed his son—not with a bottle, not with anything—and had never taken him to a doctor since the day the baby was discharged from the hospital after birth. He told investigators that it wasn’t his job to feed the baby, because he was just the father.
Prosecutors said the parents had “systematically” deprived Karson of food and medical care, which ultimately led to his agonizing death. At sentencing, they described the evidence in the case as beyond disturbing, saying the images were more horrifying than anything seen in a horror movie. He recalled the baby’s body as nothing more than a filthy, skin-draped skeleton—so severely emaciated it left an unforgettable impression on everyone who saw the photos…