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PA Parental Murder Conspiracy; 55lb Twin Teens Starved, Forced Outside Naked: DA

A Lower Macungie Township mother and stepfather accused of starving their twin 15-year-old sons to just 55 pounds, forcing them outside naked in freezing temperatures, beating them, and coercing them to lie to authorities are now facing conspiracy to commit murder charges, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced Friday, Feb. 21.

Starvation, Isolation, and Physical Abuse

The abuse was uncovered on Jan. 22, when Pennsylvania State Police responded to a call on Divot Drive and found one of the teens, "Victim 1," running naked in 2-degree weather. The boy said his stepfather forced him outside as punishment.

Inside the home, officers found his twin brother, "Victim 2," also severely malnourished. Both teens weighed just 53 and 55 pounds, with their heights stunted by at least a foot due to prolonged starvation. Doctors said they suffered from heart arrhythmia, scurvy, severe vitamin deficiencies, and extreme protein-calorie malnutrition.

Medical records show the boys had not received medical care since 2017, and doctors confirmed that without intervention, they would have died.

The boys told investigators they were subjected to daily punishments, including:

  • Being denied food and water, sometimes for days.
  • Being forced to walk around the house naked and take cold showers without towels.
  • Sleeping on the floor with only one blanket to share.
  • Being tackled and thrown to the floor by their stepfather.

Doctors noted bruising consistent with repeated kneeling for extended periods and injuries from exposure to freezing temperatures.

Coerced Lies and Surveillance

After Victim 1 escaped and was hospitalized, Joshua and Tracy Dechant allegedly forced Victim 2 to lie to authorities, instructing him to tell police that his brother ran outside voluntarily and was “dangerous and abusive.”

Authorities discovered disturbing video and photo evidence on the Dechants' phones, including:

  • Videos of the boys sitting naked on the floor, appearing terrified.
  • Images of them standing on the back porch in only underwear, shivering.
  • A video of Tracy Dechant forcefully grabbing one boy’s chin to make him look at her.
  • A timestamped photo of one boy naked outside just 14 minutes before police were called.

Investigators also found hundreds of handwritten punishments the boys were forced to write repeatedly, including:

“Weak men are abusive and spiteful, strong men are protective and loving.”

The affidavit revealed the boys were constantly monitored via home security cameras and were not allowed to leave the house or speak when taken outside under supervision.

Prosecutors: Parents Showed ‘Malice’

Holihan said that by denying medical care, restricting food, and exposing the twins to extreme cold, the Dechants displayed a conscious disregard for their children's lives, leading to the conspiracy to commit murder charges.

"Their actions showed a wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty, recklessness of consequences, and a conscious disregard for an unjustified and extremely high risk of death," prosecutors stated.

While no sexual abuse has been found at this time, officials said more charges may be filed as additional evidence is uncovered.

Joshua and Tracy Dechant have not yet been arraigned on the new charges.

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