Pennsylvania – In a deeply disturbing case out of Pennsylvania, two women identified as 31-year-old K. Eutsey and 35-year-old S. Shipley now face the death penalty after killing their 9-year-old adopted daughter and discarding her body along a riverbank in a bag. The foster parents have both been charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 9-year-old girl, a child described by officials as severely malnourished and abused.
The girl was reported missing on September 3, 2024, prompting an immediate response from Pennsylvania State Police. As officers prepared to search the women’s residence, a young child approached them and confessed, “I’m never going to see my baby sister again because she’s in heaven.” The child claimed that Eutsey had killed her younger sister and placed her body in a bag, later driving it “far, far away” to dispose of it. Investigators eventually located the girl’s remains on the shore of a river, nearly 20 miles from the home. The girl weighed only 45 pounds and showed visible signs of prolonged abuse, including bruises, burns—some believed to be from cigarettes—and extreme neglect.
Court documents say the girl’s death came after a night of screaming and crying, overheard by other children in the household. According to one sibling, both Eutsey and Shipley yelled at and kicked the 9-year-old girl in the stomach. The same child described witnessing her being stuffed into a bag before the women left to dump her body. An affidavit later revealed that Eutsey claimed the child had “choked” and died but admitted being “scared to call 911” because she “didn’t want to get in trouble” over the child’s poor condition and injuries.
Authorities soon uncovered what they described as a broader pattern of child torture and neglect in the home. Several of the other children, who were being homeschooled, were found to be in poor physical condition. A six-year-old boy was reportedly chronically malnourished and dehydrated, and an 11-year-old girl could not read. Shockingly, two of the children were missing teeth, which they claimed were pulled out by Shipley using pliers. Prosecutors have labeled the treatment of these children as systematic abuse and said it occurred under the direct care and supervision of both women. The 9-year-old girl had reportedly been in Eutsey’s custody since 2019, and both women were listed as her legal guardians at the time of her death.
Because the District Attorney’s Office filed notices of aggravating circumstances, both Eutsey and Shipley are eligible for the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder. These circumstances include the age and vulnerability of the victim and the cruelty of the crime. Eutsey, described as both a blood relative and legal foster parent of the 9-year-old victim, was also caring for her biological children at the time. Shipley, her partner, shared legal guardianship of the victim and participated in the abuse. Both women remain in custody. The other children who were in the home have since been placed under the care of relatives.
The victim’s biological mother, C. Benedetto, has publicly expressed grief and disbelief over the girl’s death and the manner in which her body was discarded. “Why put her in a tote, in a garbage bag, and throw her away like she didn’t mean anything?” she asked in an interview with local media. “She meant something, at least to us. She meant everything to us.” As the case moves forward, the shocking details continue to rattle the local community and the wider public. Prosecutors say the level of cruelty involved demands the highest level of accountability under the law.
