North Carolina

Parents charged with murder after 4-year-old boy dies at a hospital, NC sheriff says

A Mount Airy couple was charged with murder on Friday after their 4-year-old son died at a hospital, Surry County Sheriff Steve Hiatt said.

Skyler Wilson was taken to Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem by Surry County EMS after suffering a medical emergency on Jan. 5, Hiatt said in a news release.

Sheriff’s officers began investigating what happened to Skyler after receiving a call from Surry County Child Protective Services on Jan. 6, according to the release.

Agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assisted in the case.

“The investigation revealed that Skyler Wilson passed away from injuries related to the abuse sustained by his parents,” according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.

Skyler’s parents, 41-year-old Joseph “Joe” Paul Wilson and 38-year-old Jodi Ann Wilson, were jailed without bond pending Feb. 2 court appearances.

The county Department of Social Services is caring for other children who were in the home, Hiatt said.

“This is a tragic event that resulted in the death of a precious child way too soon,” Hiatt said in a statement.

“Please remember the other siblings involved in this situation, as well as the investigators who worked tirelessly on this case, in your thoughts and prayers,” the sheriff said.

This story was originally published January 14, 2023 at 8:18 AM with the headline "Parents charged with murder after 4-year-old boy dies at a hospital, NC sheriff says."

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Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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