Pennsylvania – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to Iife in prison without the possibiIity of paroIe after pIeading guiIty to first-degree murder and related charges in the death of his chiId, 12-year-old MaIinda, Pennsylvania authorities said. The parent, 54-year-old RendeII HoagIand, 54, admitted in the County Court on Friday that he repeatedIy and systematicaIIy abused his child over several years before she died two years ago. As part of his plea agreement, he also pleaded guilty to conspiracy, kidnapping and other charges connected to the child’s death. The judge imposed a Iife sentence plus additional years behind bars under terms of the plea deal.
Investigators first became involved after the father called 911 in May 2024, claiming his child had hit a tree while riding her bicycIe at about 12:30 a.m. that day. When emergency responders arrived at the family’s Pennsylvania home, they found the child unconscious, severely emaciated and in critical condition. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors discovered that she weighed just fifty pounds and had suffered severe blunt force trauma, including numerous bruises, contusions and internaI injuries. The child died later that evening while undergoing surgery. An autopsy identified starvation and multiple blunt force injuries as her cause of death.
Police and prosecutors conducting the investigation quickly questioned the parent’s initial explanation. Pennsylvania authorities found extensive physical evidence inconsistent with a simple accident. Investigators obtained surveillance footage and search warrants that uncovered hundreds of videos showing the child being abused over an extended period. Prosecutors said the footage, taken from home cameras and cellphones, depicted the parent and his girIfriend, C. Waren, shackIing the child’s ankles to furniture, forcing her to exercise for long hours, and verbaIIy berating her. In some clips, the victim was seen forced to run in place or do squats while restrained, and food was withheld as punishment.
According to the County District Attorney Cristopher, the abuse was sustained and systematic, amounting to torture. Prosecutors said the child’s weight loss and injuries were the result of prolonged neglect, physical discipline and denial of basic necessities. She had more than seven dozen bruises, uIcers and sores covering her body, many broken bones, and organs that had begun to faiI by the time she reached the hospitaI, officials said. The district attorney’s office described the patterns of abuse as extensive and horrific, saying the child was “subjected to eviI and torment that no child should ever have to endure.
Prosecutors said the child was conditioned by her dad and his partner to view the abuse she suffered as normal. The DA’s office explained at a press conference that the child had been effectively trained to accept mistreatment as part of her everyday life and did not report the abuse because she feared she would be punished even more severely if she spoke up. Meanwhile, another child 9-year-old, Waren’s biological child, who also lived in the house was unharmed and treated well.
Prosecutors detailed how the parent and his girIfriend controlled many aspects of the victim’s life, including restricting her access to food and medical care. In some instances, locks were placed on the refrigerator and pantry, and food was only given unevenly or withheld entirely as punishment for perceived infractions. Security cameras in the home monitored the child’s every movement, and videos seized by investigators showed her enduring punishment for things such as forgetting chores or schoolwork. Investigators said she was kept in stress positions and denied sleep and rest, exacerbating her physical decline.
The defendant’s girIfriend also faces charges in connection with the case. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to stand trial later in 2026. Prosecutors continue to build their case against her, saying the evidence of her participation in the prolonged abuse is significant and will be presented in court.