Cops: Ohio Mom Ran Over 6-Year-Old, Dumped Body in River

Brittany Gosney charged with killing her son after police say she initially reported him missing
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 2, 2021 9:40 AM CST
Cops: Ohio Mom Reported Son Missing, Then Confessed
James Hutchinson.   (Middletown Division of Police)

A mother in Ohio has confessed to killing one of three young children she initially planned to abandon. That's according to the Middletown Division of Police, which received a report about the missing 6-year-old, James Hutchinson, on Sunday. The boy's mother, Brittany Gosney, 29, and her boyfriend, James Hamilton, 42, had told police about the missing boy in person, saying he was last seen Saturday night, which officers found odd. "Usually when you have a missing child, the first thing to do as the parents is they contact the police," Police Chief David Birk tells CNN. Under questioning, the pair allegedly admitted James had, in fact, been killed on Friday. Gosney had taken her children to a wildlife area with plans to leave them there, Birk says. Gosney instead ran James over when he tried to get back in the vehicle, police say, per WKRC. The Dayton Daily News reports the boy was dragged.

Gosney allegedly left the area but returned to find James dead. She then returned home with the other children and the body, which she and Hamilton threw into the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Ind., on Saturday evening, according to Birk. A search is ongoing, complicated by high water levels. "The mother is not showing much remorse," Birk adds, per the Washington Post. "I don't understand what would drive someone to be a monster like that," James' father, Lewis Hutchinson, said at a Monday vigil, calling for justice for his son, per WKRC and the Daily News. The two other children, both in second grade, have been placed in foster care, joining a fourth child of Gosney, per WKRC. Held on a $1 million bond, Gosney is charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. Hamilton, held on a $105,000 bond, faces the latter two charges. (More child murder stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X