A West Virginia woman has been arrested following allegations that she neglected and starved her 11-year-old stepdaughter over several years, leading to the child’s tragic death.

Shannon Faith Robinson, aged 51, was apprehended on Wednesday. She faces charges of murder of a child by a parent or guardian through refusal or failure to provide necessary care, according to court records.

The incident came to light on February 16, 2025, around 8:40 p.m., when deputies from the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency medical call. The call reported an unresponsive young girl at a home on the 200 block of Nector Street in Grafton, West Virginia. Upon arrival, deputies found the child on the kitchen floor as emergency responders attempted to revive her.

In a probable cause affidavit, a deputy noted, “The victim appeared extremely small for her age, severely underweight, and malnourished.” The child was found wearing disposable pull-ups and was unresponsive and not breathing.

The victim’s father was present, kneeling beside his daughter, while Robinson, identified as the child’s primary caregiver, was sitting nearby during the incident.

Robinson told authorities the victim had been “experiencing flu-like symptoms for approximately a week prior to the incident,” but said that “no medical treatment had been sought.”

EMS transported the child to Grafton City Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 9:32 p.m., per the affidavit.

Two other “household members” told investigators the victim had been sick “for a little while” and was kept in diapers because she had ongoing diarrhea for “an extended period.”

The medical examiner’s office conducted an autopsy and found that the victim weighed just 43 pounds, which was “grossly inconsistent with her chronological age.”

“The medical examiner further noted head lice, a yellowish tint to the skin, extreme thinness with bones visibly protruding, and multiple bruises and lacerations on the extremities and torso,” police wrote in the affidavit. “On October 7, 2025, I received the final autopsy report, which concluded [the victim] died from bilateral, diffuse, acute bronchopneumonia, with failure to thrive listed as a contributing factor. The report noted [the victim] was markedly underweight, with height and weight well below the fifth percentile for her age and sex.”

Interviews with family and friends allegedly revealed that Robinson and the father kept the victim “isolated” from the outside world, investigators said. They also alleged that the 11-year-old had been visibly ill since mid-2024, with her condition “progressively worsening to the point she was unable to walk without assistance and spent the majority of her time sleeping.”

Despite the “observable and severe decline in health,” witnesses told detectives that Robinson and [the victim’s father] refused to obtain necessary medical care for the victim “because they feared being reported for child abuse or neglect due to her physical condition.” A search of records showed the victim had not seen a doctor since 2020, shortly after she began living with Robinson.

The couple also allegedly starved the victim as a form of punishment.

“Further investigation revealed that food deprivation was used as a method of punishment toward [the victim],” the affidavit states. “Witnesses stated that if [the victim] resisted or ‘pushed back’ against Ms. Robinson, she would be denied food or provided only minimal nourishment for extended periods, while other household members consumed full meals in her presence.”

Robinson was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail where she is being held without bond. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to appear in court.

The victim’s father is not currently facing any charges in connection with her death.