The parents of a nine-year-old boy found dead inside their Harrisburg house are now charged with criminal homicide.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Harrisburg Police and the Dauphin County District Attorney announced new charges against Jarrod Tutko, Sr. and Kimberly Tutko.
They also released disturbing details surrounding their son, Jarrod Tutko Junior’s, tragic death.
"This was a horrific tragedy for a young man to suffer the way he suffered,” said Chief Thomas Carter with the Harrisburg Police Department.
Jarrod Tutko Junior’s decomposing body was found inside the family's house on August 1st.
He had been dead for nearly a week by the time authorities were called.
The little boy suffered from Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic condition that causes developmental disabilities.
The coroner said Jarrod Jr. was only 16 pounds when police found him and that he had died of starvation.
"He was dehydrated, malnourished,” District Attorney Ed Marsico said. “There was dried, caked fecal matter on the bottom of the child's feet and his hands and fingers nails also had fecal matter on them,” he said.
Police arrested Jarrod Tutko, Sr. shortly after the little boy’s body was found.
Originally, he was charged with child endangerment, concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse.
However, on Monday, nearly two months later, his wife Kimberly Tutko was also arrested; both are now charged with criminal homicide among other charges.
Police say Kimberly Tutko had a history of child neglect and abuse in New Jersey.
In addition to the six kids involved this case, she also had four older children.
"There had been injuries to a baby of hers and her parental rights were terminated at some point as well as her parental rights to other children,” Marsico said.
Police say there were repeated warnings to Dauphin County Children and Youth Services and that New Jersey authorities had called them with concerns years ago.
An anonymous call to the child abuse hotline resulted in a caseworker visiting the home last October.
Two weeks after that visit, there was one last call for help; it came from the brother of nine-year-old Jarrod.
"A sibling of Jarrod told Children and Youth workers at one point that his dad doesn't care about Jarrod Jr. anymore."
The District Attorney says the investigation is ongoing and that they’re reviewing the actions of the caseworkers who handled this case.
Dauphin County Children and Youth Services is also conducting an internal investigation.