Credit: Greene County Jail
Credit: Greene County Jail
“Tchanavian Cantrell not only stood by while John Cantrell abused her child, but she participated in the abuse herself. She abdicated her most basic responsibility as a parent by risking the health and safety of her child,” said Greene County Prosecutor David Hayes in a released statement. “The degree of criminal conduct and lack of remorse are deserving of the maximum punishment permitted by law. I am thankful for Judge Tornichio’s thoughtful consideration of the facts of this case and am grateful that he imposed a sentence of eight to 12 years. It is my hope that this sentence will further assist the victim as she continues to recover and move on from this horrific event.”
The Cantrells and two other adults were facing similar charges for “whoopings” of a 12-year-old girl.
The four adults and more than a dozen children lived together as a family unit in Beavercreek, according to the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office. In mid-October 2021, the child failed to complete her chores. To discipline her, the four adults struck her with a metal studded belt, causing bleeding, open wounds on her lower back. One of the adults then immediately sprayed isopropyl alcohol onto the open wounds, “which inflicted immense pain upon the victim,” prosecutors said.
The child, who was home-schooled, on Oct. 19, 2021, snuck out and went to Coy Middle School in Beavercreek. When Tchanavian Cantrell came to pick her up, her daughter ran into a nearby wooded area, where the child disclosed the abuse to law enforcement.
After observing the girl’s injuries and conducting an investigation, Beavercreek police arrested all four adults on Oct. 21, 2021, and charged them with endangering children.
As part of the investigation, the child told a caseworker she received “whoopings” anytime something went wrong and that the defendants used a black belt, metal belt and brown belt. During an interview at Michael’s House Child Advocacy Center, the girl said she received about 200 “licks” because she didn’t do chores correctly, according to court documents.
Greene County Children Services removed at least 13 children from the house, and prosecutors said two more children were born since charges were filed in the case.
Tchanavian Cantrell’s sentencing on Monday was continued from Oct. 31.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christian Cavalier, a trial attorney in the Cantrell cases, said Tornichio was about two-thirds of the way through the Oct. 31 hearing and had announced a sentence of eight to 12 years before Cantrell collapsed as the judge spoke about her right to appeal.
Cantrell was taken to a local hospital, where she was evaluated and released back to the jail, he said.
A trial will begin Jan. 16 for a third adult in the case, 38-year-old Tammara Ann Moreland, aka Tammara Cantrell.
Prosecutors have until Dec. 3 to present its case against a fourth adult, a 37-year-old woman, to a grand jury, according to court documents.
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