In Wisconsin, a mother is embroiled in a legal battle over the tragic death of her 12-year-old son, who weighed a mere 56 pounds at the time of his passing last year. The mother, Tina Beauprey, asserts that her son’s drastic weight loss was a consequence of a terminal illness.

Contrary to Beauprey’s claims, prosecutors allege a starkly different narrative. According to WLUK, they argue that the boy’s condition was the result of neglect, as Beauprey failed to provide essential nourishment and care.

During a recent court session, Beauprey faced a bond hearing, with a subsequent court appearance scheduled for Monday. Judge Laura Lavey has mandated that Fond du Lac County District Attorney Kristin Menzl submit an official criminal complaint before the forthcoming court date.

The case draws further complexity from the findings of a probable cause statement, which cites an autopsy report concluding the boy succumbed to starvation, categorizing his demise as a homicide. Notably absent from the report is any mention of the boy’s supposed medical condition, which Beauprey’s defense attorney, Michael Queensland, identifies as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

As highlighted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Duchenne muscular dystrophy primarily affects boys and is characterized by progressive muscular weakness. While the disorder typically allows individuals to live into their 30s or 40s, it does not commonly lead to the kind of rapid weight loss seen in this case.

The probable cause statement said the boy dropped from 80 pounds in November 2024 to 56 pounds at the time of his death, with 15 percent of the weight loss happening in the five weeks leading up to his death on December 5, 2025, WLUK said.

“It appeared that during these last years, specifically, that there was care not being provided to the child, including a lack of food,” Menzl said at the hearing. “The victim’s health declined significantly in about the two days prior to his death. At that time, the defendant did not seek out any medical care for the victim, even though it was obviously he was declining.”

Queensland told the judge that the boy’s weight loss was expected because of his condition.

“The family had been informed that the child was terminally ill,” Queensland said. “He was going to lose weight. And soon, was going to need a feeding tube.”

Lavey gave Beauprey a $500,000 bond. She is charged with neglecting a child causing death, jail records show.