STARK COUNTY — A set of adoptive parents accused of starving a 3-year-old boy to death have pleaded guilty to charges in Northeast Ohio.
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Demetres Givens and Jamie Thompson pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering children on Friday, according to WOIO, a CBS affiliate in Cleveland.
A Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge then sentenced them both to eight to 12 years in prison.
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In May 2025, Canton police responded to a home on reports of a 3-year-old boy in his bed “not breathing.”
Court documents obtained by WOIO stated that the pair starved the boy, leading him to be malnourished for months.
The couple allegedly cancelled various doctor appointments after the child started showing signs of malnutrition.
The child, identified as Berko Givens, ultimately died from starvation, WOIO reported. He was also the nephew of his adoptive father.
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