La Porte, Indiana – A 28-year-old mother from La Porte, Indiana has been sentenced to 42 years in prison for her involvement in the torture and killing of her 4-year-old son. Mary Yoder pleaded guilty to neglect resulting in the death of a dependent and domestic battery to a child. Her son, Judah Morgan, suffered from blunt force trauma to the entire body before he was beaten to death by his father over potty training failures in 2021.
Yoder’s husband, Alan Morgan, pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including murder and battery, and was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Yoder confessed to abusing Judah and her other child and admitted to failing to intervene or contact authorities regarding her husband’s torturous punishments of the child.
During her sentencing, Yoder expressed regret for her actions and stated that she missed her son. However, this drew the disapproval of the judge, who responded by expressing disbelief and showing a photo of Judah’s autopsy. The evidence presented in court revealed the severe physical and emotional abuse Judah suffered at the hands of his parents, including being locked in a dark basement, starved, beaten, and even having his mouth duct-taped.
Judah ultimately died from blunt force trauma to the head, causing massive bleeding on his brain. The basement where he was imprisoned was found to have no working lights, along with feces and ripped duct tape littered throughout.
Before the sentencing, Judah’s second cousin and foster mother addressed the court, expressing her anger and pain towards Yoder for failing to intervene and save her son. The tragic case sheds light on the devastating consequences of child abuse and neglect, leaving a community grieving for a young life lost to senseless violence.