Louisiana dad claimed his 5yo son was ‘mentally manifesting’ illness and refused to get him help. Then the autopsy told a different story

Joseph Eslinger is going to prison for 40 years over the death of his 5-year-old son. The Louisiana father, 29, pleaded no contest to manslaughter after refusing to get medical help for the boy. He reportedly believed his son was “mentally manifesting” his illness.

According to Us Weekly, the events that led to Leo’s death came to light on Dec. 28, 2023. Emergency responders were called to a home in Albany, Louisiana, after receiving reports of a child who wasn’t breathing. When police and paramedics arrived, they found Leonardo “Leo” Eslinger unresponsive and rushed him to New Orleans Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment.

Doctors tried to save him, but he died three days later on Dec. 31. An autopsy found that he was severely malnourished, and his face and body were covered in bruises and lacerations. The findings also documented the physical injuries and medical complications Leo had suffered before his death.

The father acknowledged that his son had stopped talking and eating

The medical examination also found multiple brain bleeds. When detectives from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office questioned Eslinger, he acknowledged that Leo had been visibly unwell. The father reportedly said his son had stopped talking and eating in the days before emergency services were called. These symptoms were among the details investigators examined as they looked into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Eslinger told investigators that the boy was “mentally manifesting these symptoms.” He maintained that Leo wasn’t as sick as he looked. Investigators, however, determined that he had deliberately withheld medical care even as the child’s condition deteriorated. His account of Leo’s condition became part of the investigation into why the boy did not receive medical attention before emergency responders were called.

Cases involving harm to young children in their parents’ care have drawn national attention elsewhere, including that of a Missouri mother who said she accidentally put her 1-month-old in the oven.

His alleged accomplice is yet to stand trial

Eslinger’s girlfriend at the time, 29-year-old Diana Lopez, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that she and Eslinger were both involved in the abuse, and that Leo was treated differently from his two younger siblings, who reportedly showed no signs of similar mistreatment.

The allegations against Lopez form a separate part of the case, and she has not entered a trial to answer the murder charge. Lopez remains in custody and is expected to appear in court on the murder charge. She has not yet stood trial, and the allegations against her have not been tested in court.