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Mom Accused Of Fatally Dragging 6-Year-Old Son As He Clung To Car Files For Insanity Plea
“Defendant struggles to assist in her defense and counsel has serious concerns regarding defendant’s mental health,” Brittany Gosney's attorney wrote after she and her boyfriend James Hamilton were arrested for the murder of 6-year-old James Hutchinson.
An Ohio mother intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity after allegedly dragging her 6-year-old son to death behind her moving car, then dumping his body in the Ohio River.
Brittany Gosney, 26, had allegedly been talking with her boyfriend, 42-year-old James Hamilton, about getting rid of her three children, aged 6, 7 and 9, according to an incident report obtained by Oxygen.com from the Preble County Sheriff's Office. On Feb. 27, she drove her children to Rush Run Park in Preble County and had them get out of car – then turned the vehicle around and sped off, authorities said.
As she was fleeing, authorities said her 6-year-old, James Hutchinson, grabbed hold of the car handle. She allegedly dragged him until he let go, "possibly running him over," according to the report.
Gosney allegedly returned to the parking lot about half an hour later to find the 6-year-old dead, according to an arrest report from the Middletown Police Department obtained by the Daily Beast. She allegedly loaded him and her two surviving children into the car and drove home to her boyfriend. They allegedly kept the boy’s body in their home until around 3 a.m. the following morning, at which point Gosney allegedly drove to a bridge and dumped James' body in the Ohio River.
Gosney and Hamilton both went to police hours later to report Hutchinson missing – but they allegedly gave conflicting accounts of when they last saw him, WCPO reports.
Within hours of contacting authorities, both Gosney and Hamilton allegedly confessed to having disposed of the 6-year-old’s body, according to the arrest report. They have since been indicted on 31 criminal charges: one count of murder, one count of manslaughter, four counts of tampering with evidence, five counts of abuse of a corpse, six counts of kidnapping, six counts of abduction, and eight counts of child endangerment, according to court records uploaded by the Butler County Clerk of Courts.
Last Wednesday, Gosney's attorney, David Washington, filed a motion to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, according to court records.
“Defendant struggles to assist in her defense and counsel has serious concerns regarding defendant’s mental health,” David Washington wrote.
Washington could not be immediately reached for comment.
Adding to the tragedy of this incident, the slain 6-year-old’s biological father, Lewis Hutchinson, told WCMH-TV that he’d have happily taken his son into his home if Gosney had asked.
“All she had to do was give him to me. She could have dropped him off at my sister’s house,” he told the station.
Hamilton has not yet entered a plea, according to online court records. He is being held on $750,000 bond, while Gosney is being held on $2 million bond.
Despite efforts by recovery crews, Hutchinson’s body still has not been found, WKRC reported.
