The Springfield Township 16-year-old, who had autism and died last month, was "treated worse than an animal," Hamilton County's prosecutor said Monday.
Jeremiah Moore died Feb. 6 after he was chained to a cot and starved, investigators said. His adoptive mother, Tamara Moore, and a man, William Turnage, have been indicted in connection with his death.
“Words alone cannot describe the level of depravity displayed by these two defendants," Prosecutor Melissa Powers said in a statement. "My heart breaks for this little boy. He was treated worse than an animal, forced to live in a basement closet -- unwanted, unloved, and denied the most basic of necessities."
Moore, 52, appeared in court Tuesday as she pleaded not guilty to murder, endangering children, involuntary manslaughter, and failure to report a crime or knowledge of a death.