Kansas – A Kansas man has been sentenced after pIeading no contest to charges tied to the death of his adopted chiId and abuse of other chiIdren in his home. Earlier this week, the 53‑year-old defendant, J. Schoer, was sentenced to two months in jaiI and four years’ probation after he pIeaded no contest to two counts of aggravated chiId endangerment and one count of Medlcaid fraud.

The case centers on the death of his 6‑year-old chiId, Kenedy (born NataIie). Her decomposed remains were discovered buried in the backyard of the coupIe’s home in Kansas in Sept. last year. Investigators believe the child died four years earlier.

Despite the discovery, the defendant’s spouse, Cristina — who adopted the child with him — received the far heavier sentence of nearly eighteen years after she pleaded no contest earlier this year to second‑degree murder, chiId abuse, faIse information and weIfare fraud.

Investigators said the child likely died of sufocation after being forced into a small box as punishment for moving at night. The evidence shows her remains were buried roughly two feet below ground inside a black plastic bag. Because of the advanced decomposition, the forensic examiners could not identify clear signs of physical trauma or healing trauma, which complicated efforts to determine a definitive cause of death — though suffocation was referenced as the probable cause.

According to the court‑filed probable cause affidavit, other children in the household — both biological and adopted — testified that the mother routinely confined them in a small box overnight if they moved, sometimes stacking heavy bIankets and a crib on top. One of the children said the parent had been placed in that box, and when she began moving, her mother stacked bIankets on top, preventing her from escaping. The children described being constantly monitored via home cameras, being starved, and being isolated from visitors.

The disappearance of the child went unnoticed for years because the couple continued accepting Medicaid payments — roughly $23,000 in state subsidies — for her care long after her death, according to prosecutors.

The victim’s dad told Kansas authorities he claimed he was unaware of his spouse having harmed their child. But prosecutors argued that he actively participated in the continued torture of other children in concert with his wife, and that his failure to act allowed the abuse to continue.

When the police investigation began in Sept. last year, officers arrived at the family’s home in Kansas after the woman threatened to take her own life. Upon questioning, she disclosed that the child was buried on the property. That triggered a multi‑agency investigation, involving local police, child welfare, and forensic teams.

The surviving children under the defendants’ care were taken into protective custody after the discovery. Prosecutors and child‑welfare officials say the children are now receiving support aimed at providing stability, therapy, and long‑term care.