KINGSFORD HEIGHTS, Ind. — A mother from LaPorte County, Indiana, has been sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison for her involvement in the brutal slaying of her 4-year-old son, Judah Morgan. Mary Yoder, 28, pleaded guilty to felony neglect of a dependent for the death of her son and to a separate felony domestic battery charge for abusing another one of her children.
The abuse and killing took place in the family’s home near the small town of Kingsford Heights, south of Lake Michigan and about 30 miles southwest of South Bend. Prosecutors revealed that the ongoing torture and abuse of Judah was perpetrated by his father, Alan Morgan, who is currently serving a 70-year prison sentence for his son’s murder and other charges.
During the sentencing, Judge Thomas Alevizos handed Yoder a 42-year prison term for the attacks on her children, 37 years for the neglect charge related to Judah, and 5 years for the battery charge on her other son. The court heard that Judah was found naked and covered in a blanket with bruises all over his body and was ultimately subjected to being duct-taped in a basement and starved to death.
The tragic case received even more attention due to the fact that Judah had spent the first four years of his life with his foster parents until the Indiana Department of Child Services gave custody back to his parents. During the court hearing, the boy’s former foster mother expressed the sentiment that there is no real justice for Judah, but they hope for some sense of it and find solace in the knowledge that he is no longer suffering.
In summary, Mary Yoder, a mother from LaPorte, Indiana, has been sentenced to 42 years in prison for the neglect and abuse of her 4-year-old son, Judah Morgan, who tragically lost his life due to ongoing torture and abuse at the hands of his father. This heartbreaking case sheds light on the complexities and failures within the child welfare system, leaving many to question the measures taken to protect vulnerable children.