A Missouri couple is accused of locking two teenage children in a chicken pen and shooting at them with BB guns as part of what investigators say was a prolonged pattern of severe abuse.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Potosi, Missouri, residents Chantel Spring Hayford, 38, and Jerry Allen Menees, whose age was redacted in court records, were arrested Jan. 13.
Menees was charged with two counts each of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, armed criminal action and abuse or neglect of a child, as well as one count of unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of first-degree domestic assault.
Hayford faces two counts of first-degree kidnapping, one count of first-degree sexual abuse, three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, four counts of abuse or neglect of a child and two counts of first-degree domestic assault. Both defendants are being held without bond.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation began after the Division of Family Services alerted deputies to allegations of abuse and neglect involving two children, ages 13 and 14, leading to a search warrant and the arrests.
According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, investigators detailed additional allegations in a probable cause statement and warrant application outlining what they described as repeated abuse involving the two teenagers.
Investigators wrote that the children told authorities they were locked inside a chicken pen that was fastened shut and then shot at with BB guns during the alleged incident.
Court records further allege the children were threatened with real guns, including a handgun, and warned they would be shot if they spoke about the abuse.
The warrant application also describes an alleged pattern of ongoing abuse and neglect, including repeated physical violence and intimidation and organized “fight nights” in which the children were allegedly forced to fight one another.
According to a probable cause statement, investigators said those allegations form the basis of the trafficking charges after an adult guardian reported the children came to her home seeking food. She later said their mother agreed to transfer custody of them in exchange for a cellphone and phone plan, an arrangement authorities said was documented through a power of attorney.
The guardian further told investigators the children were severely underweight when they arrived and had not been enrolled in school, with medical providers later determining they could not read or write, according to court records.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing and credited the Child Advocacy Center and the Washington County Division of Family Services for assisting in the case.
