Sisters Of Child Tortured, Killed File Lawsuits In Montco, Chesco: Authorities

WEST CHESTER, PA — Three half-sisters of a 12-year-old girl who was tortured for years by her father and stepmother before being killed are suing a wide variety of entities across Chester and Montgomery counties they say should have done more to protect her.

The suits allege wrongful death and seek millions in punitive and compensatory damages against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Chester County, Chester County Children, Youth and Families, Coatesville Area School District, North Brandywine Middle School, Upper Dublin School District, Monroe coUNTY, Monroe County Office of Children & Youth,, and Horace S. Scott Middle School.

Related: Child Was Abused, Tortured By Parents For Years Before Death: Chesco DA

Malinda Hoagland, 12, died in May. Rendell Hoagland, 52, and the victim's de facto stepmother, Cindy Warren, 45, both of West Caln Township, have been charged with first degree murder.

"But that (charges against the parents) is only one avenue of justice aiming to hold the perpetrators of this horrendous torture and killing accountable,” attorney Tom Bosworth said. “The civil claims seek to ensure that full and complete accountability will be achieved for the heinous actions of the educators, case workers, and institutions who all failed Malinda miserably. The imposition of punitive damages is necessary to not only punish these defendants for their reckless conduct, but also as a deterrent so nothing like this ever happens again."

Bosworth and fellow attorney Alexandria Crouthamel filed the federal suits in the eastern district court of Pennsylvania on behalf of Emily Lee, Jamie, and Abbey Hoagland.

Specifically, the suits cite "overall egregious negligence and recklessness" on behalf of the institutions listed.

A separate lawsuit was filed in state court in Philadelphia against the Commonwealth Charter Academy with similar claims.

Attorneys say the warning signs that were missed as Malinda was abused for years are "astounding."

"(The missed signs) show an absolute failure of the system that should never be allowed to happen again," the attorneys added.

The progress of the investigation recently revealed that torture had gone on for years leading up to her death in May.

Malinda was pulled out of public school in late Nov. 2023 and shifted to a home cyber school. Teachers had routinely checked on Malinda's well being before and after this, investigators found, as Malinda had 10 excused and 25 unexcused absences from school during that fall.

In the several months that followed, Hoagland and Warren severely abused and starved her inside their home on the 200 block of Reid Road in West Caln, the District Attorney's Office said.

In the several months that followed, Hoagland and Warren severely abused and starved her inside their home on the 200 block of Reid Road in West Caln, the District Attorney's Office said.

But her abuse began long before that, police said their latest investigation has found.

Dozens of videos found on both Hoagland's and Warren's phones showed that they ankle-cuffed Malinda to furniture, verbally berated her through an in-camera speaker system, demanded physical strenuous exercise like squats and running in place, and denied her meals for various perceived slights, police said.

On May 4, at around 7:28 p.m., Rendell Hoagland called 911 after Malinda passed out. Medics immediately noticed that many things were "gravely wrong," with Malinda, the DA said, including that she was severely malnourished and had several broken bones. She weighed only 50 pounds, was covered in bruises, and was suffering from severe organ failure, police said.

She was taken to Paoli Hospital Trauma Center, where she died at 9:58 p.m.

Hoagland and Warren were arrested on May 6 and originally charged with attempted criminal homicide, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. First, second, and third degree murder charges, in addition to involuntary servitude charges, were filed this week with the latest discoveries in the investigation.

Anyone with information on the case should call Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.