WELCH, W.Va. – The McDowell County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the death of a girl who was visiting the Mohawk area of Panther. The 7-year-old girl was taken to Welch Community Hospital on Aug. 1, 2016, where she was pronounced dead. Emergency Room staff at the hospital contacted deputies because the death appeared suspicious.
Investigators said the child had arrived in West Virginia from Davidson County in North Carolina the week before. The body was taken to the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Charleston, WV. According the Sheriff Martin West, the initial report from the autopsy shows the death was due to malnutrition.
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Department is working with law enforcement in North Carolina on the case. They will determine if charges will be filed. They are also working to decide if legal action is taken, whether it should be pursued in West Virginia or North Carolina.
