Grafton woman arrested after ’severely underweight’ 11-year-old girl dies in her care

GRAFTON, W.Va (WDTV) - A Grafton woman has been arrested and charged after a “severely underweight” 11-year-old girl died in her care.

Shannon Robinson, 51, was booked into jail on Wednesday just after noon on the charge of murder of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian.

An 11-year-old girl died after she was starved as a form of punishment, according to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. On February 16th, 2025, first responders found the girl on the kitchen floor of Robinson’s home unresponsive, severely underweight and not breathing wearing disposable pull ups, court documents say.

Robinson, who was the girl’s stepmother, told deputies the girl had been experiencing “flu-like symptoms for approximately a week prior to the incident.” However, deputies determined the girl had not received any medical care since 2020 after she began residing with Robinson.

A medical examiner told deputies the girl, who was approximately 43 pounds and 47 inches tall, had measurements “grossly inconsistent with her age.” The examiner also reported head lice, a yellowish tint to the girl’s skin, bones visibly protruding and multiple bruises and lacerations on her extremities and torso.

An investigation revealed that the girl had been sick since the summer of 2024 with her condition progressively worsening to the point that she was unable to walk without assistance and spent the majority of her time sleeping, court documents say.

Witnesses told deputies that Robinson said she could not take the girl to a doctor because she feared she would be reported for child abuse or neglect. They also said Robinson would use food deprivation as a method of punishment while other members of the household had full meals in her presence.

There is no word on whether or not the girl’s father, who was also in the home, is facing charges at this time.

Robinson is currently in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail with no bond set at this time.