Harford couple sentenced to 22 years after guilty plea in son's starvation death

Donna and Samuel Merryman were each sentenced to 22 years in prison Thursday for the 2005 starvation death of their 9-year-old adopted son, Dennis. The Whiteford couple had pleaded guilty in February to child abuse resulting in death in exchange for the dismissal of murder charges and abuse charges related to their other children.

Relatives and members of the Merrymans' church testified to their kindness and Christian values during the three-day sentencing hearing, and spoke of Dennis' suffering from Reactive Attachment Disorder that affected his relationships with others and physical problems that affected his abilty to digest food and grow.

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