JAKE SLAGLE - 7 months/ Convicted: Father, Mother & Grandmother; William Daniel Slagle, Heather Deann Ruley, and Patricia Tyree Ruley - Lexington VA

Dad, mom, grandma charged in Rockbridge County for baby's death
Jake Slagle died in August

Web Staff, news@wdbj7.com
POSTED: 04:26 PM EST Feb 06, 2014    
UPDATED: 08:09 PM EST Feb 06, 2014

LEXINGTON, Va. - A father, mother, and grandmother have been charged in connection to the death of a 7-month-old baby last August in Rockbridge County.

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  William Slagle has been charged in connection to his son's death.
  
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  Heather Ruley has been charged in connection to her son's death.
  
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  Pat Ruley has been charged in connection to her grandson's death.
  

William Daniel Slagle, Heather Deann Ruley, and Patricia Tyree Ruley were each charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse. The Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office says their neglect led to the death of Jake Wesley Slagle.

All three also have been charged with three counts of felony child neglect and abuse for their “alleged lack of care of the three other children that were living in the home at the time of Jake’s death,” according to the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office. According to a search warrant, "when deputies arrived at the home several other children were in various states of undress and at least one child was covered in feces."

The search warrant states that roaches and fleas were crawling everywhere.

The three suspects were arrested Thursday and are being held in the Rockbridge Regional Jail. Slagle was denied bond. Bond was set at $25,000 for Heather Ruley and $10,000 for Patricia Ruley.

The three are scheduled to be arraigned in Rockbridge County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Monday.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/dad-mom-grandma-charged-in-rockbridge-county-for-babys-death/-/20128466/24334150/-/dny82t/-/index.html

Family members will face no jail time for the death of a Rockbridge County baby

Web Staff, WDBJ7, news@wdbj7.com
POSTED: 09:02 PM EDT Jun 19, 2014    
UPDATED: 11:00 PM EDT Jun 19, 2014

LEXINGTON, Va. - The family members charged in the death of a seven-month-old baby in Rockbridge County will not face any jail time.

Baby Jake Slagle died last August. He was seven months old.

The child's parents, William Slagle and Heather Ruley, pleaded guilty to felony child abuse neglect this week.

Both received suspended sentences instead of going to prison.

Jake's grandmother also pleaded guilty and got a lesser sentence.

According to a search warrant, when deputies arrived at the home there were other children who weren’t fully clothed. Investigators say at least one child was covered in feces.

The prosecutor in the case said several medical examiners could not directly connect the child's death to the neglect.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/family-members-will-face-no-jail-time-for-the-death-of-a-rockbridge-county-baby/26579490