A couple accused of subjecting two teenagers to horrifying abuse, including shooting at them with BB guns and confining them in a chicken pen, has been apprehended. Chantel Hayford, the mother of the teens, and her boyfriend Jerry Menees, were arrested following reports of severe neglect and mistreatment endured by the 13 and 14-year-old victims over a two-year period. Authorities disclosed that the couple allegedly organized “fight nights,” where the teens were coerced to harm each other as part of an ongoing pattern of abuse. Shockingly, it is claimed that at the culmination of the alleged abuse, the children’s mother offered to exchange them for a phone, valuing each child at $77.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was alerted in December after the Division of Family Services flagged the case when a concerned individual stated that the boys came to them during the summer pleading for food. Subsequently, Hayford and Menees were taken into custody after law enforcement officers searched their residence in Missouri, and the teenagers recounted the harrowing experiences they supposedly endured at the hands of their mother and her partner.
According to police allegations, one of the teens fell into a state of deep depression and resorted to consuming bugs, leaves, and even caulking used in construction to seal gaps. The other teenager was purportedly forced to ingest caulking, with one of the alleged incidents occurring at a child’s birthday celebration.
The person who raised the alarm with authorities shared distressing details of the children’s reported suffering inflicted by their mother. Police documents revealed that the mother offered to trade the children for a phone and a phone plan totaling $231, handing over custody in exchange.
The teens were reportedly never enrolled in school and lacked basic literacy skills appropriate for their age. A medical examination indicated severe undernourishment, allegedly exacerbated by the couple providing drugs and alcohol to the minors. Additionally, the couple is accused of brandishing real firearms to intimidate the teens into silence about the abuse they endured.
Law enforcement reports described the living conditions as extremely unsanitary, with feces smeared on the floors and beds. Menees faces multiple charges, including kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child, armed criminal action, and child abuse or neglect. Hayford has been charged with kidnapping, domestic assault, sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, and child abuse or neglect.
Both suspects are currently in custody without the option of posting bail.
