A couple in the United States are accused of performing amateur exorcism on their four-year-old son, who later died, according to a report in NBC News. Joseph and Jodi Wilson were arrested on January 13, a week after Surry County emergency services responded to a call and found the boy, Skyler, "unresponsive and not breathing on his own". The couple were arrested on accusations that their actions led to the death of the boy. They are being held at the Surry County Detention Centre under no bond.
The couple had adopted Skyler, according to local media outlet WFMY-TV. They are alleged to have restrained the child and performed exorcism, according to the television channel.
A complaint about alleged exorcism was filed by Skyler's former foster mother, who said Jodi told her she'd "gated" the child "for excessive alone time".
Joseph and Jodi Wilson are facing murder charges in the death of the child, the outlet further said.
The Surry County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook that it received a call from Child Protective Services about a child who had been admitted to the hospital after having suffered a "medical emergency" the day before.
The emergency services said the child was breathing when they arrived and was taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Brenner's Children's Hospital.
"Skyler Wilson succumbed to injuries he sustained on January 5, 2023 and passed away on January 9, 2023. The Surry County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigative Division initiated an investigation that revealed Skyler Wilson passed away from injuries related to the abuse sustained by his parents, and his death is being investigated as a homicide," the County Sheriff's Office said.
It added that other children within the custody of Joseph and Jodi Wilson have now been turned over to the Department of Social Services.
A cause of death was not revealed by the authorities.
