Father and stepmother charged with murder of girl, 12, who was abused, tortured and starved: DA

WEST CALN TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The father and stepmother of a 12-year-old girl who died after she was allegedly tortured and starved have now been charged with murder, authorities said Thursday.

Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe announced the upgraded charges on Thursday.

The victim, Malinda Hoagland, weighed just 50 pounds at the time of her death.

Rendell Hoagland, 52, and Cindy Warren, 45, of West Caln Twp. are now charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and hundreds of related offenses.

The two were arrested back in May and are being held without bail. The district attorney's office says it intends to pursue the death penalty.

Malinda was "reprogrammed" to accept abuse as part of her life, de Barrena-Sarobe said during a news conference on Thursday, and she didn't report the abuse because she was afraid of being beaten more severely than she already was.

The investigation has uncovered records of abuse dating back to November 2021, the D.A. said.

Despite the suffering she allegedly experienced at home, de Barrena-Sarobe said Malinda excelled at school and was awarded 'Student of the Month' by her cyber school about two months before she died.

Malinda was admitted to the hospital on May 4. Investigators say her father reported that she struck a tree while riding a bicycle at 12:30 a.m.

Investigators have said that even if that were true, it would in no way explain the extent of her injuries and emaciated state.

Malinda died while in surgery. An autopsy revealed that she died of starvation and multiple blunt-force injuries.

Approximately 75 bruises, contusions, ulcers and pressure sores were identified on her body, the D.A. said.

Investigators say evidence obtained through search warrants revealed hundreds of videos and still images on the suspects' cellphones and Blink security cameras.

According to the D.A., the videos show Malinda shackled to furniture, enduring physical abuse, and being subjected to forced stress positions and physical punishment.

She was also allegedly forced to exercise, de Barrena-Sarobe said Thursday, and that the autopsy showed she had "no sign of body fat on her."

She had damage to virtually every major organ system in her body, including her brain, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

The videos also show Malinda was often ankle-cuffed to furniture and verbally berated by the suspects through an in-camera speaker while they were not physically present.

Text messages and conversations between Hoagland and Warren show that Malinda was punished for infractions like forgetting chores or schoolwork, "stealing" food, not smiling during school sessions over Zoom, and urinating herself while cuffed to furniture, the D.A. said.

The two often texted about concealing injuries from concerned family members and mandated reporters, according to the D.A.

Malinda was removed from in-person schooling in November of 2023, the D.A. said, and school records establish that Malinda had approximately 25 unexcused absences in 2023 and an additional 10 excused absences.

After being pulled from school at the end of 2023, Malinda attended a cyber school, according to the D.A.

"There is no indication that either school failed to meet legal requirements to report abuse - in fact, there is evidence that teachers at both schools often checked in with Malinda," the D.A.'s office said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.

The D.A. also is reminding the public that anyone with concerns about the safety of a child should call 911 or the Childline at 1-800-932-0313. Childline reports can be anonymous.