[1]Attorneys huddle with Lewis County Superior Court Judge Joely O’Rourke after defendants fail to appear in court.
Updated at 4:53 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Authorities said law enforcement would go look today to try to find a Centralia couple who didn’t show up for their sentencing hearing in a case of the severe neglect of one of their children.
Mary G. Foxworth, 43, and Anthony S. Foxworth Sr., 45, are facing prison terms of as long as more than four years. Each pleaded guilty last month separately to one count of first-degree criminal mistreatment.
[2]Mary G. Foxworth
They were charged late last year after an investigation that began almost a year earlier. When they first appeared before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court in January, they were allowed to remain free on $10,000 unsecured bonds.
The Centralia Police Department got involved after the Foxworths took their 16-year-old son to the doctor with abdominal pain, and he was was hospitalized, suffering from severe malnutrition, severe constipation and anemia, according to Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm. The boy weighed just 54 pounds, was missing patches of hair, could not stand on his own and had not seen a doctor or been enrolled in school for years, according to the allegations.
[3]Anthony S. Foxworth Sr.
Most benches in the courtroom today were filled for the hearing that was scheduled for 2 p.m.
Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead, just after 2:15 p.m., told the judge neither defendant was present, although both were aware of the hearing.
Defense attorney Jacob Clark said the last time he’d heard from his client was Monday. Anthony Foxworth’s lawyer Chris Baum said his client had checked in on Monday as usual.
Judge Joely O’Rourke agreed to sign no-bail bench warrants for the couple.
Among those who were present was their son, now 18 years old. He looked well. Halstead said prior to the hearing he hadn’t decided whether he would address the court.
He was accompanied by at least a half dozen individuals wearing black leather jackets emblazoned with the logo of their group, Bikers Against Child Abuse.
One of the group from Kelso, who only gave his “road name” of Pops, said they work to support young victims.
“We want them to know, that child’s got someone protecting their back,” he said.
Clark said after the hearing adjourned, he asked Mary Foxworth’s mother to go check on her, as there have been mental wellness concerns.
Clark said he believes the couple no longer resides together, nor do their other two children live with them.
Baum said he didn’t know why they weren’t at court, and he didn’t want to speculate.
Halstead said the plan was to send law enforcement to look for them and pick them up this afternoon.
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For background, read “Centralia mother pleads guilty to severe neglect of son” from Tuesday October 17, 2017, here [4]