Grand jury indicts Las Vegas parents of 22-pound 13-year-old who died

The parents of a severely malnourished 13-year-old boy who died weighing 22 pounds have been indicted, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Kristin Denise Bush and James Bush each face two counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment with substantial bodily harm.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti said the couple’s son, Evan, who suffered from a brain abnormality known as Joubert’s Syndrome, died in December 2015. His cause of death was undetermined, but the prosecutor said the charges stem from ongoing malnutrition, failure to seek appropriate medical care and a lack of education.

The second count relates to the couple’s other son, who is 16 and weighed 70 pounds when they were charged early last month, Rinetti said.

Defense attorney Robert Lueck refuted the allegations, saying the children suffered from severe disabilities.

“As far as we could determine, these are genetic defects,” Lueck said. “They’ve been under medical care for years and years.”

Severe birth defects prevented the boys’ growth and muscle development, Lueck said, adding that the children were regularly fed.

“It’s an ugly fact of life, but they have not been neglected,” Lueck said. “They have not been abused.”

After Evan died, the older boy was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services, Lueck said. The parents maintained contact with him as he underwent hospital visits, and they regained custody earlier this year.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.