Girl found handcuffed, other children in house were homeschooled: Charleston Police

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — The school-aged children and grandchildren of Laura Southworth, the woman accused of leaving her eight-year-old granddaughter handcuffed for hours, were homeschooled, according to the Charleston Police Department.

The Charleston Police Department said on Tuesday there were four children living with Southworth, 54, of Charleston. Two teenagers were her children, and the eight- and three-year-old were her grandchildren. They said she had custody of all of them.

The CPD said the eight-year-old and the teenagers were all homeschooled.

A spokesperson for Kanawha County Schools said, “I can confirm that we received a notice of intent to homeschool them Nov. 2022. All three students are – as of today – up to date on required testing submissions.”

Southworth was arrested for child abuse and unlawful restraint on Monday after her granddaughter went to her neighbor’s house for help while wearing handcuffs, the CPD said.

They said her grandchild left her home on Bridge Road just before 9 a.m. on Monday.

According to a criminal complaint, Southworth admitted to handcuffing the girl on Sunday evening because she was making a mess, “stealing food and placing it in hidden areas,” and trying to leave without permission. It also said the house was “extremely messy with multiple items covering the floor.”

The document said the handcuffs were left on for around 13 hours.

She was arraigned around 1 p.m. on Monday.

Homeschooling has been in the news ever since the death of Kyneddi Miller, a 14-year-old girl who was found dead on a bathroom floor “emaciated to a skeletal state,” according to a criminal complaint.

Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Holstein said in August that Kyneddi had been on the floor where she was found dead for four to five days. He went on to say that describing her state as “emaciated” was not an exaggeration, comparing her malnourishment to images of Holocaust victims.

A close family member told law enforcement that Kyneddi had an eating disorder and had not been eating for months, according to the criminal complaint. It said she was unable to function on her own for almost a week due to her physical state.

Kyneddi’s mother, Julie Miller, and her grandparents, Donna and Jerry Stone, were all indicted on charges of murder by a parent, guardian or custodian by failure or refusal to provide necessities, and child neglect resulting in death.

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