Getty Images
9-Year-Old PA Girl Found Dead in River, Her Foster Mom Has Been Arrested
Kourtney Eutsey was arrested for her alleged involvement in the death of her 9-year-old foster child, Renesmay Eutsey, who was found dead in a river in Dunbar, Pennsylvania.
Renesmay’s foster mothers, Kourtney and Sarah Shipley, reported her missing from their home in Fayette County, though police believe they knew where she was all along.
“The amount of resources dedicated to this is immeasurable. It’s not the results we wanted this morning,” Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele said in a statement, per local outlet KSWO.
After she was reported missing, Renesmay’s body was found on Thursday, September 4, along the bank of the Youghiogheny River. Upon discovering her body, the district attorney said there were unmistakable signs of abuse.
‘Unknown Number’ Director Reveals Where the Licari Family Stands After Texting Scandal
“What we saw this morning was a girl that appears to be malnourished, various bruises, cigarette burns on her body,” Aubele said. “It’s very apparent this girl suffered and her mother is responsible.”
Kourtney has since been charged with homicide.
TikTok Influencer and Author Eli Rallo Announces Her Fiction Debut ‘I Hope Eden Reads This’
Renesmay lived with the couple and her three biological siblings, as well as the Kourtney and Chipley’s own child. Police also stated that the other children witnessed the abuse targeted at Renesmay.
The criminal complaint stated that one child told police, “I’m never going to see my baby sister again because she’s in heaven.” The child also claimed that their mother killed Renesmay and put her in a tote.
The abuse was further detailed as one child claimed to the police that they woke up to Renesmay screaming and crying. After recalling seeing Shipley and Kourtney yelling at Renesmay, the child alleged that the mothers kicked her in the stomach and threatened to take her to the “far, far away” river.
While speaking to the police, Kourtney said she didn’t call 911 because she was afraid of being reported for Renesmay’s malnourishment and a burn on her back. She also claimed that Renesmay began choking and vomiting before her death, while Kourtney allegedly tried doing CPR for more than 20 minutes to clear her throat.
“She didn’t deserve the abuse, the malnourishment, any of it. She didn’t deserve to be thrown away like garbage,” Renesmay’s biological mother, Christina Benedetto, said, per the outlet.
Kylie Kelce Shares What Her 4 Daughters Think of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Engagement
Benedetto also admitted that she made mistakes as Renesmay’s mother, and she left her children with family members as she tried to get back on her feet.
“They were supposed to be somebody I could trust with my kids while I got my life situated. I wasn’t the best mother, but I was still there,” she said, according to WPXI. “They wouldn’t let me have any contact with any of the kids.”
Before Renesmay’s body was found, Benedetto searched for her daughter for 13 hours on Wednesday, September 3. She later learned the following day that she was never truly missing.
“My baby didn’t deserve that. She was innocent. She had her whole life ahead of her,” Benedetto said.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Life & Style does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.