Horror at Home: 6-Year-Old Girl Found Starved, Locked in Crate Before Tragic Death
Published by RawNews1st
4:45 pm ( 4/25/2026 )
North Carolina – A shocking child abuse case is sparking outrage after a 6-year-old girl died under horrific conditions, authorities say. Investigators report the child was allegedly confined inside a crate, severely malnourished, and weighed just 27 pounds at the time of her death—less than half the expected weight for her age.
According to early findings, the young girl was discovered in a home environment described as “deplorable,” with reports indicating she had been left covered in feces and deprived of basic care. Emergency responders rushed her for medical attention, but it was too late. Officials later confirmed she succumbed to extreme neglect and starvation.
Susan Robinson, 61, Tonya McKnight, 51, and Tery’n McKnight, 22, were arrested on child abuse charges following the death of Dominique Moody in December 2025. The three were charged with murder in the first degree on Wednesday, per WBTV.
Court documents allege the child was frequently restrained with duct tape and denied food, based in part on text messages reviewed by investigators. Four other children were living in the home at the time. Police records show officers had been called to the residence nearly 50 times before Dominique’s death, according to WBTV.
Tonya McKnight was Moody’s legal guardian.
