Parents charged with murder for death of 8-year-old boy, court documents say

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA/Gray News) – Parents in Texas have been charged with capital murder after their 8-year-old son died at a hospital earlier this month from “suspicious injuries.”

According to court documents, the boy had lacerations on his head, legs and back. He also appeared malnourished and underweight for a child his age, officials said.

The boy’s mom, 29-year-old Megan Lange, and the boy’s stepfather, 33-year-old Rodolfo Reyes, have been arrested in the case.

Investigators said Ector County deputies were called to a home in Odessa on Nov. 5 in regards to an unresponsive child. When they arrived, first responders performed CPR on the boy and rushed him to the hospital.

Hospital staff continued performing life-saving measures, but the 8-year-old boy died.

The boy’s mom told investigators that she was talking to her son when his head fell back and he stopped breathing. She called 911.

However, an autopsy revealed the boy’s cause of death was asphyxiation by manual strangulation with underlying causes of neglect.

According to court documents, Lange and Reyes were in custody and control of the child at the time of his death. They are both charged with capital murder of a child under the age of 10 and injury of a child.

Court documents said six other children were in the house on the day the boy died.

Officials said Reyes willingly went to the Ector County Sheriff’s Office and spoke with investigators. He denied causing any bodily injury to the child but said he was at home on the day the child died.