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A Pennsylvania couple has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and other felonies after authorities say they waited three days to notify police about the death of their newborn son.
According toa statementfrom the Pennsylvania Attorney General, Drew and Amy Hoenigke were also charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
A family friend, Brigitte Meckes, was also at the scene, and she’s been charged with the same offenses.
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Officers also alleged that the family had moved to a rural area to live a more holistic lifestyle. Amy Hoenigke, 34, allegedly told police that she and her husband “do not live a conventional lifestyle and choose not to pay attention to things like timeframes or even keep track of the days.”
Pennsylvania State Troopers found the boy’s decomposing body on Jan. 20. Next to his remains, they found a container containing “remnants of burned herbs.”
Drew Hoenigke, 31, toldThe Daily Beastthat the couple decided against immediately calling police because they don’t trust modern medicine — and were concerned about their unvaccinated 2-year-old daughter, Hettis.
“We didn’t want to try to hide what happened and we knew we had to go through the process,” Hoenigke reportedly told the outlet. “But we were worried about our daughter and what would happen to [her].” He also said his daughter had been home-birthed and didn’t have a birth certificate.
The couple, as well as Meckes, were each booked on a $150,000 bond. They have since been released as they await a pre-trial court appearance in January. They have not yet entered a plea, and court records do not reflect attorneys authorized to speak on their behalf.
PEOPLE contacted the Hoenigke family via phone but was not able to immediately reach them.
source: people.com
