4 Family Members Plead Not Guilty in Abduction and Abuse of Malnourished Iowa Teen

4 Family Members Plead Not Guilty in Abduction and Abuse of Malnourished Iowa Teen
(L–R) Gary Graham Jr., Danielle Graham, Aaron Williams, all from Zearing, Iowa, were charged on March 18, 2024. Story County Sheriff's Office via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:
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DES MOINES, Iowa—Four members of a rural Iowa family have pleaded not guilty in the abduction and abuse of an 18-year-old relative who had allegedly showed up at a hospital so badly beaten that his brain was bleeding and so malnourished that he weighed just 70 pounds (32 kilograms), according to court documents.

Gary Graham Jr., 44; Danielle Graham, 42; Aaron Williams, 20; and a 16-year-old girl, all from Zearing, Iowa, were charged with first-degree kidnapping and willful injury last month. Each has submitted a written plea, the last of which—for Gary Graham Jr.—was filed Monday.