ERIE — Two Union City residents have pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after prosecutors said they severely neglected their two young daughters, leaving them unable to eat solid food.
Courtney Boardman, 32, and Keith D. Griffith, 48, entered guilty pleas Friday in Erie County Court of Common Pleas, according to a Go Erie report. Both are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15.
According to prosecutors and state police, the couple failed to provide the girls, who were 4 and 5 years old when authorities intervened in 2023, with proper nutrition. Investigators said the children were bottle-fed a mixture of liquids throughout their lives and were never introduced to solid foods.
Medical evaluations determined the girls were suffering from severe malnutrition and developmental delays. Both required surgery to receive feeding tubes because they had not developed the ability to swallow solid food.
As part of the plea agreements, several other charges were dismissed. Prosecutors and the defense jointly recommended a sentence of three to seven years in prison for Griffith. No sentencing recommendation was included in Boardman’s agreement.
The girls remain in foster care, and court records indicate the parents’ legal rights have been terminated while adoption proceedings continue.
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