HOCKING COUNTY, Ohio — A Hocking County couple could face the death penalty in the death of the father’s two-year-old daughter.
According to court records, Austin Starkey, 25, and Destiny Neel, 27, were arrested and charged in January with the death of two-year-old Arianna Starkey.
On January 8, the Hocking County Sheriff was alerted to a possible child abuse case involving the family. EMS was dispatched to a unit at Hayden Place apartments on reports of a small child not breathing, court records say.
According to officials, the child was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital where she died on January 10.
The couple was indicted back in March in connection with the death. Starkey was charged with murder, felonious assault, permitting child abuse, endangering children, and tampering with evidence. Neel was charged with murder, aggravated murder, felonious assault, and endangering children.
According to an autopsy report released this week, Arianna died from blunt force trauma to her head and neck.
The charges, in this case, carry a victim under the age of 13 specification which allows the state to pursue the death penalty.