Parents Guilty in Starvation Death of Son, 14, in Fast

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. —  A Seventh-day Adventist couple was convicted today of third-degree murder in the starvation death of their 14-year-old son during a six-week religious fast.

The 12-member jury deliberated for 1 1/2 hours over the course of two days before reaching its verdict in the case of Larry Cottam, 39, a former Seventh-day Adventist minister, and his wife Leona, 38.

The Cottams held hands when the verdict was read and showed no outward signs of emotion.

The couple also was found guilty of two counts each of recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of children for neglecting to feed Eric and his 12-year-old sister, Laura. The girl was hospitalized after her brother’s body was found and has been placed in foster care.

The Cottams, who could each be sentenced up to 20 years in prison, claimed they believed God would intervene to end the family’s fast.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Thomas Marsilio told the jury the Cottams killed their 5-foot-9 son, who weighed 69 pounds at the time of his death, as surely as if they had slain him with a knife or gun.

Holding up a photograph of the boy’s emaciated body, he said, “Larry and Leona Cottam watched this horror unfold, doing nothing whatsoever to prevent it.”