A woman and a man have been apprehended and charged with mistreating and depriving her 14-year-old son, with the woman later confessing to making him drink approximately two gallons of water daily.
Stephanie Linke, aged 36, and Michael Gruchacz, aged 35, are confronting allegations of two counts of severe child abuse that date back about four months. The revelation of their misconduct emerged when they brought the adolescent to the hospital, alleging that he had been denying himself both food and beverages. However, Linke then disclosed to the medical staff that she had been compelling her son to consume 2 gallons, approximately 7.5 liters, per day. Upon admission to the hospital, the boy was recorded to be 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 92 pounds, as stated by Cowboy State officials. Subsequent to his hospitalization, he has purportedly gained 11 pounds.
Linke purportedly attributed her son’s alarmingly low weight to behavioral problems, claiming that he refused to eat because he was not permitted to consume junk food or soda. Nevertheless, attentive staff observed indications of purported additional physical abuse, including a longstanding untreated wound behind one of his ears, along with bruises and scrapes on various parts of his body.
Furthermore, the excessive water intake by the boy led to hyponatremia, a condition arising when the salt levels in the body are excessively low due to continual elimination of electrolytes from consuming liquids. According to medical specialists at the hospital, the child would likely have encountered total organ failure and perished if he had not received prompt medical attention.
During interrogations with the boy, he detailed that Linke shouted at him, struck him, and dragged him across the carpet. Gruchacz is also accused of hitting him in the neck and shoulder with a “karate chop” at one instance. The couple also purportedly subjected the boy to severe mental or emotional harm through the torture or harsh confinement of the child and inflicted serious bodily injuries, as per official records.
Evidence included footage from a home security camera where Gruchacz was depicted pacing in front of the 14-year-old before taking him to the hospital and advising him, “We will report everything you have done since that is the only way we can protect your mom.” In an alleged disturbing conversation between the couple on October 13, just five days before the boy’s hospitalization, they are reported to have discussed striking him in the throat.
Linke remarked, “He is eating now,” to which Gruchacz responded, “Punch him in the throat.” Linke mentioned, “First [he] just walked upstairs without being called,” and Gruchacz replied, “I see. Was he looking for open kitchen hours?” Moreover, the affidavit also referenced additional footage from the home surveillance camera where Gruchacz purportedly informed the boy’s mother in front of her son: “Ya know, if you suspend him by his feet and make a small slit, all the blood in his body will drain out.”
In separate testimonies to law enforcement, the boy’s siblings claimed that their brother resided in the basement and was typically only permitted to consume leftovers, ramen, and peanut butter, unless he “earned” the privilege of dining with the rest of the family, according to the affidavit. While Gruchacz has been released on bond from the Laramie County Jail, Linke remains in custody on a $50,000 bond.