A Kentucky couple is facing 20 years behind bars after they starved and tortured children in their 'house of horrors.'
Jerome Norman and Mary Hall, both 44, were indicted back in March on three counts of first-degree criminal abuse.
Hall had gained custody of her sister’s children after she died in a 2018 car accident, and their father was later convicted of manslaughter in the crash and jailed, WYMT reported.
The couple moved to Pike County with the kids in 2023, where prosecutors say the abuse began.
Staff at Kimper Elementary School noticed bruises and unusual hunger patterns in one child.
Concerns escalated into a formal complaint after a winter storm in 2025, when the student returned from an extended break malnourished and bruised, with a chipped tooth.
An investigation followed, and police said the children had been locked in a room with boarded-up windows, comparing the situation to torture.
Jerome Norman and Mary Hall, both 44, are facing 20 years in jail for child abuse
Mary Hall entered a blind Alford plea deal in connection with first degree criminal child abuse
Jerome Norman also entered the plea. The two are currently in jail
The children were starved, punished, and forced to do manual labor, with one child appearing to suffer the worst abuse, according to police.
'He sucked the insulation in the walls trying to get water,' said Amber Hunt, appointed guardian ad litem, per the outlet.
Prosecutors said the children were forced to lie to their peers, and the child who suffered the most abuse was not allowed to take part in school activities.
The couple entered a blind Alford plea to the charges, meaning they did not admit guilt but acknowledged that the evidence could likely lead to a conviction at trial.
As part of the plea deal, two charges were reduced to lesser felonies. The judge sentenced Hall and Norman to a total of 20 years in prison, with credit for time served.
They must serve 85 percent of their sentences before they are eligible for parole, according to Appalachian News-Express.
Norman in a Facebook post that Kentucky State Police put out back in 2025
Norman in court, he moved to Pikeman County with Hall back in 2023, where the school noticed patterns of abuse
Hall sits in court during Friday's sentence
Bill Slone, Pike County Commonwealth’s Attorney, says he is pleased with the sentence the couple received
Aerial view of Pikeville, Kentucky
The couple’s attorneys asked for leniency, but Prosecutor Bill Slone said he saw a win when they received the maximum sentence.
'And he imposed a 20 year sentence. We are pleased with that,' Slone said.
'Our laws don’t allow for cruel and unusual punishment, even to prisoners. So, they’ll never be subjected to the kind of punishment that they subjected those children to,' he told WYMT.