An Utah couple accused of abusing and killing their 3-year-old daughter, reportedly videotaped themselves taunting her with food and abusing her.
The parents, Miller Costello and Brenda Emile, were taken into custody on July 6th after 3-year-old Angelina Costello was found dead with obvious bruising and cuts.
Court documents say that when police arrived on scene rigor mortis had begun to sink in and officials say she appeared malnourished.
“The child victim’s stomach was sunken in, her legs and arms appeared thin and atrophied with no visible muscle tone or definition. The child victim’s facial features were also sunken in, void of definition from muscle or fat,” the documents said.
Police say that during an interview with the mother she admitted to using makeup to conceal some injuries “so they didn’t look as bad“.
Investigators found several pictures and videos on Costello and Emile’s cellphones showing the couple presenting food to Angelina and them “removing it from her and disciplining her”.
“One video shows [Costello] using the feet of an infant child to kick [Angelina] in the face. In the videos the child victim is in an obvious state of emotional duress and distress,” court documents detailed.