NEWS

Madison Co. couple faces felony abuse, neglect charges

Therese Apel
The Clarion-Ledger
Anthony Holliday is escorted from the Madison County Justice Court in Madison County Thursday. Holliday is suspected of child abuse and neglect.

A Madison County couple whose 10-year-old boy is said to be so malnourished he looks around half his age each is facing a $1 million bond on felony child abuse and felony child neglect.

Latasha Leonard, 32, and Anthony Holiday, 30, appeared before Judge Marsha Stacey separately on Thursday for bond hearings.

Stacey told Leonard it's not her job to rule on guilt or innocence, but simply to assign bond. But she said she did have to review some of the evidence  to evaluate that bond.

Latasha Lenard is escorted from the Madison County Justice Court in Madison County Thursday. Lenard is suspected of child abuse and neglect.

"What I saw was the most repulsive, heartbreaking evidence I've ever seen," she said. "I wish I could unsee it."

To Holiday, she said, "What I saw made me sick to my stomach and broke my heart. It was some of the worst evidence I've ever seen."

Stacey set bond at $500,000 for each charge, or $1 million total per defendant.

The 10-year-old is the eldest of Leonard and Holiday's eight children. None of the children was present, but Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said there are no immediate signs of abuse or malnutrition in the other children, who are as young as a few months old, He said they will undergo forensic interviews of the children and additional medical tests through the next several days.

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Guest said authorities were made aware of the situation last week when the Department of Human Services went to the family's home to do a welfare check on the children and noticed the alleged victim was not present. When they asked Holiday and Leonard about him, they gave suspicious answers, Guest said.

Residence of Latasha Lenard and Anthony Holliday, Canton Villa Apartments, in Canton Thursday. Latasha Lenard and Anthony Holliday are suspected of child abuse and neglect.

"Based on that, DHS immediately notified law enforcement, and law enforcement contacted our office," Guest said. DHS and MBI are investigating the case, he said.

The child was eventually located when authorities returned to the home later and he was among his brothers and sisters. It is unclear where he was in the meantime.

Authorities said there is evidence not only of malnutrition, but of physical abuse.

Latasha Lenard is escorted from the Madison County Justice Court in Madison County Thursday. Lenard is suspected of child abuse and neglect.

It is unclear if any of the children are enrolled in school, but Guest said the alleged victim is not enrolled and has never been to his knowledge.

"Looking at the facts of the case and seeing the photos that I've seen, it does cause me some distress," Guest said. "We are glad that law enforcement was able to locate the child and that he was not harmed in any additional manner. We're glad that those children are no longer in that home."

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Outside of the abuse and neglect, the child is physically in fairly good shape, Guest said, though there will be some medical treatment he will undergo that he has not received during his entire life.

Leonard and Holiday both told the judges they had not been in court for major offenses before. Leonard had some tickets, and Holiday had some tickets and a disorderly conduct charge in 2011.

The felony child abuse and felony child neglect charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, Guest said.

Contact Therese Apel at 601-961-7236 or tapel@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.