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West Virginia girl, 8, died after she was beaten, starved and banned from drinking water by dad, girlfriend and her sister

Following a year-long investigation into the death of eight-year-old Raylee JoLynn Browning on Boxing Day last year, police arrested her father, 34-year-old Marty Browning, his 36-year-old girlfriend Julie Dawn Titchenell and her 35-year-old sister Sherie Titchenell
PUBLISHED DEC 12, 2019

OAK HILL, WEST VIRGINIA: A West Virginia girl died after she was tortured and suffered horrific abuse from her father, his girlfriend, and the girlfriend's sister, according to a criminal complaint.

Following a year-long investigation into the death of eight-year-old Raylee JoLynn Browning on Boxing Day last year, police arrested her father, 34-year-old Marty Browning, his 36-year-old girlfriend Julie Dawn Titchenell and her 35-year-old sister Sherie Titchenell, according to NBC News.

All three had come under suspicion after police were called to an Oak Hill hospital on December 26, 2018, when Sherie carried the young girl in and told doctors, without emotion, that she was not breathing.

She claimed Raylee had fallen sick on Christmas day and suffered a nose bleed related to her prescription medications. She said the eight-year-old had then fallen while getting out of the shower and was shaking nonstop while her lips turned white.

However, on further examination, doctors found several signs that Raylee had been severely abused. She had bruises, burns, lacerations, and other injuries, and eventually died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Detectives' suspicions grew when Marty's and Julie's stories contradicted Sherie's, and they learned that Raylee had been hospitalized with various injuries on multiple occasions in the past.

Sherie's daughter then shared with detectives the extent of the abuse which Raylee was subjected to by her mother, including how she withheld food, ordered her to not eat even at school, where the eight-year-old would ask cafeteria workers for extra food. 

The girl said Sherie beat Raylee with metal objects, belts, and spoons, and even barred her from drinking water for almost three days as punishment for misdemeanors.

"I caught her drinking from the toilet a few times, and I felt that she got that infection from that water. I told her that the water was dirty, but I guess she was just so thirsty," the child revealed.

Her teachers had reportedly alerted Nicholas County social workers to her plight multiple times, and the girl said the suspects made her lie to them every time they responded to their residence.

A doctor testified that Raylee may have been subjected to medical abuse as well as she was on seven medications at the time of her death, many of which were used to treat severe autism and mood disorders.

Marty, Julie, and Sherie have all been charged with the death of a child by a parent or guardian and child neglect causing death, and are currently being held on a bond of $100,000 each.

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