In a LaPorte County Circuit Court on Friday, the mother of a 4-year-old Indiana boy who was beaten and tortured to death in 2021, received 42 years behind bars.
According to court documents, Mary Yoder, 27, previously pleaded guilty in August to multiple felony counts related to her son’s murder. Judah Morgan’s lifeless body was discovered in his family’s rural Union Township home in October 2021.
Security footage captured inside the home days before Judah’s death showed Yoder grabbing another son by the arm and throwing him onto the floor, according to court documents.
Court documents also indicated that the children told investigators that Yoder frequently confined Judah in the basement as a form of punishment.
During one incident, the defendant and Judah’s father, Alan Morgan, left Judah alone for nearly two hours; video footage captured Judah walking naked from the basement area through the living room and into the bathroom, with Yoder and Morgan following.
Weeks later, he was found beaten to death on the floor of their home, reportedly naked, bruised, and covered with a blanket, according to KHOU 11. An autopsy later indicated that he passed away from blunt force trauma.
In November, Morgan also pleaded guilty to murder, along with a battery charge, as part of a plea agreement. The agreement saved Morgan from serving life without parole and dropped charges of neglect of a dependent and animal cruelty.
Court documents outlined the state of Morgan and Yoder’s home, including filth, garbage, and animal feces. Police found a fridge with a cord and key-style lock, preventing access, along with a malnourished dog in a cage.
Investigators described the basement as cold and dark, with human feces in an infant-style toilet, and torn duct tape. Yoder confessed that Morgan would force Judah into the basement if he resisted.
Another child witnessed Morgan hitting Judah, binding his ankles and hands, and tying his arms behind his back. Yoder denied physically harming Judah, but the other child said they saw both parents force Judah into the basement and heard sounds of physical abuse
A probable cause affidavit obtained by 13News revealed that Judah’s longtime foster parent and family cousin, Jenna Hullett, claimed that the Department of Child Services (DCS) was aware of the abuse but did not intervene.
Hullet obtained custody under a “kinship placement” after she learned Judah was placed in foster care at four months old. Over the next two years, Judah was primarily under the care of Hullet, but the birth family had visitation rights that included overnight stays at their home.
“There were a lot of red flags going on in between the time we got him and when he could vocalize abuse that was going on in the house. Every time he would tell me something, I would tell the case worker and it was constantly overlooked,” Hullet told KHOU 11.
“I remember one time Judah ripped his hand from the caseworker and jumped in my arms. And hugged me like my own kids don’t even hug me. I could tell at that time he was in distress.”
This incident ultimately spurred legislative action. Senate Bill 410, known as Judah’s Law, allows unlicensed caregivers to intervene in juvenile court proceedings. Another bill, House Bill 1247, now mandates DCS to provide details about a deceased child’s history and status at the time of death.
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[Feature Photo: Judah Morgan/Handout via KHOU 11 News]
