A Wisconsin stepmother is heading to prison after a 15-year-old girl in her care was discovered severely malnourished — weighing just 58 pounds and locked in her bedroom for hours at a time.
The Sentence
Brittany Hull, 33, was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison plus four years of probation. She pleaded guilty to chronic neglect of a child with great bodily harm. She is also prohibited from contacting the victim and must complete a parenting class.
What Happened to the Girl?
On October 15, 2023, paramedics responded to the Hull home in Rib Mountain, Wisconsin — about 90 miles east of Green Bay. The girl was unresponsive and not breathing. CPR was performed for nearly 25 minutes before she was stabilized.
At the hospital, doctors discovered she was suffering from:
- Severe malnutrition — at least 30 pounds underweight
- Organ failure due to extreme dehydration
- Bone marrow failure from starvation
She was intubated for five days. Within just eight days of being in the hospital — away from her father and stepmother — she gained nearly 5 pounds.
What Was Happening Inside the Home?
Investigators uncovered a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse:
- The girl was not allowed to eat breakfast while her siblings ate normally
- Her water intake was restricted to just 16 ounces per day
- She was forced to eat away from the rest of the family
- Surveillance footage showed her being forced to stand with her hands raised for hours — visibly crying and shaking
- Her bedroom had locks on the doors and windows plus a door alarm
Her siblings had no nutritional problems. There was plenty of food in the house — just not for her.
‘She Is Literally Starving’
The family’s church pastor told investigators the girl’s health had been steadily declining for years. During weekly children’s programs, she struggled to focus because she was so hungry. When given a snack, she would inhale it and stuff food into her pockets to eat later in secret.
The Father Is Also in Prison
The girl’s father, Tristan Hull, 41, pleaded guilty to the same charge last year and was sentenced to four years in prison.
What Doctors Found
Medical staff confirmed no health condition prevented the girl from eating or gaining weight normally. Brittany Hull had taken her stepdaughter to a dietitian but was not following any of the recommendations, according to investigators.
— Coverage by thecmeaglet.com
