Springfield Township parents plead guilty in severe neglect case

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SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) - The mother and father charged in a severe child neglect case pleaded guilty Monday morning after their toddler was found severely malnourished in November 2025.

Stephanie Woods and Cody Mercer, of Springfield Township, each pleaded guilty to one count of endangering children after police alleged that their young child was found malnourished, dehydrated, weighing 13 pounds and had bedsores all over her body.

Police said some of the sores were so severe, they may require surgery, and, at the time, expected the child to remain hospitalized for an “extended period of time.”

The couple was charged with three counts each, but two charges were dropped as part of the agreement.

Each parent was sentenced to nine months, rather than the 36 months that could have resulted from the three charges.

Their sentences won’t be imposed until Sept. 9.

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