A 31-year-old Indiana father and his 27-year-old wife are accused of severely neglecting his 9-year-old son, allegedly abusing and starving the emaciated boy as punishment while also expecting him to care for the younger children in the home.

Inset, left to right: Elizabeth Lynn Crow and Jacob Aaron Neal (Frankfort Police Dept.). Background: The area in Frankfort where the defendants allegedly abused Neal’s 9-year-old son (Google Maps).

Jacob Aaron Neal and Elizabeth Lynn Crow were taken into custody Thursday and charged with one count each of felony neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, authorities announced.

According to a press release from the Frankfort Police Department, the investigation began Aug. 26, 2026, after Indiana University Health Frankfort Hospital contacted the department about a child with suspicious injuries that were likely caused by 𝘢bu𝘴e. The boy appeared malnourished and had severe bruising and several bone fractures.

Due to the severity of his condition, the victim was transported to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was admitted in critical condition. His condition has since been upgraded to stable, police said.

The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) removed several other children from Neal and Crow’s home, all of whom were found to be in good health.

Police said their investigation determined that the defendants starved the victim as a disciplinary measure.

Court documents obtained by Indianapolis FOX affiliate WXIN provided additional details about the boy’s condition. Police said he weighed just 51 pounds and his ribs were visible from malnourishment. He also wore size 4 diapers and was “unaware when he would soil himself.”

Doctors reportedly found bruising to the boy’s face and head, fractured ribs, spinal compression fractures, open wounds on his hands, gastrointestinal bleeding, a fungal lung infection, broken teeth and bedsores.

When questioned about the boy’s injuries, Neal and Crow allegedly gave different accounts of what happened.

Neal reportedly told doctors the child had fallen while climbing a bookshelf, while Crow said he had fallen from a swing at a park about a week earlier. Doctors told police they did not believe the explanations, as they could not account for the severity of the boy’s injuries.

During an interview with investigators, Neal allegedly said the children were given food whenever they were hungry.

When investigators asked Crow when the boy was last happy and healthy, she responded, “It’s not like he’s been like this for a week or anything. This is just the past couple days and not even this bad,” Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR reported, citing court documents.

Investigators also found text messages between Neal and Crow discussing the boy’s food and punishment, several of which were published by WTHR and WXIN and read, in part:

• Sept. 8, 2025: Neal texted Crow that his son “Can go without eating today to see how he likes it.” Crow responded that because the child ate that day, he needed to be spanked.
• Dec. 17, 2025: Neal texted Crow that the boy “needed to be put on medication and locked the f— up.” Later in the conversation, Crow replied, “I don’t trust the neighbors not to call the cops & I CANNOT risk you getting in trouble & us losing the kids.”
• Aug. 11, 2026: Crow texted Neal about the child stealing food, saying, “I’m f—ing done with him!!” before adding, “He’s been trying to talk to me all day & I’ve not responded to him a single time. I’m done w this abusive relationship & then him fake apologizing.”
• Aug. 11, 2026: One of the defendants texted the other, “HE’S GOT TO GO,” and “HE HAS GOT TO GET TF OUT OF OUR HOUSE! He’s a lost cause, there’s NO changing him!!”
• Undated: Crow texted Neal about the boy, writing, “ALL DAY [he] has been begging for food like a f—ing dog,” and “Every 2 minutes ALL DAY LONG he’s asked about food!! Nonstop!! I told them to leave me tf alone & let me relax for a little bit.”

Frankfort Police Chief Scott Shoemaker called the case “heartbreaking.”

Neal and Crow both pleaded not guilty during their initial hearings Friday, court records show. A judge revoked Crow’s bond because she was already out on bond in another child-neglect case. Neal’s bond was set at $40,000. The defendants are scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on Nov. 12.