Amy Headrick
Travis Headrick
Monroe County Herald Staff Writer
During a sentencing hearing in Monroe County Circuit Court Friday, District Attorney Kevin Croninger said Travis and Amy Headrick treated their children more like livestock than humans.
The Melvina couple, who pled guilty to two counts of child neglect and one count of false imprisonment on Feb. 14, each was sentenced by Judge Todd Ziegler to spend four years in prison with an additional seven years extended supervision.
In August 2018, the couple were arrested on nine charges, including three charges of second degree recklessly endangering safety, child abuse with the intent to cause harm, three counts of neglecting a child and two counts of false imprisonment. Six of the charges brought against them were dismissed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
As part of the plea agreement, Amy Headrick, 41, and Travis Headrick, 49, admitted to neglecting two of their adopted children and locking one of them in a horse trough secured shut with heavy wire fencing and zip ties. Judge Ziegler described their actions as “despicable” and “extremely disturbing.”
“I’m going to say this, good people don’t engage in this type of behavior,” Ziegler added. “This is not a split-second decision where something happens and you react. This is something that was going on over some time.”
The children who were kept in the makeshift cages were given the opportunity to address the court on Friday and said life with the Headricks started out great.
“I don’t get what changed, when they started just being mean to us,” said one of the children. The other said he felt like his freedom and childhood had been taken from him and that every day he lived in fear.
“You guys knew what you were doing was wrong because you kept it a secret,” he said, addressing the Headricks.
The couple’s attorneys, Jay Englund and John Matousek, said the Headricks weren’t making excuses for their actions, but that they brought the boys into their home and took care of them despite behavioral issues the children had, which Croninger disputed.
“When we hear statements that there were behavior issues that’s essentially blaming children for acting like children,” Croninger said. “Children who act up do not deserve to be abused.”
Both Travis and Amy addressed the court as well apologizing to the children. “I’m sorry I let you down,” Amy said.
During sentencing Judge Ziegler admitted that there were “mitigating factors,” which included the Headricks’ lack of criminal history, but that the seriousness of their actions warranted prison time.
