Brittany Gosney, James Robert Hutchinson, James Hamilton
A woman in Butler County, Ohio allegedly murdered her son and reported him missing, but police say she and her boyfriend soon admitted the child’s body was dumped in the Ohio River.
The Middletown Division of Police identified the defendants as mother Brittany Gosney, 29, and her co-defendant lover James Hamilton, 42. Victim James Robert Hutchinson, 6, remains missing, though authorities continue to look for him.
Gosney reported her son missing on Sunday morning, cops said. A search ensued.
“The Middletown Division of Police would like to thank the many people that came out to help search for James and the organized search teams that responded,” officers said.
That search led to a confession, according to the police story. Investigators continued to question Gosney and Hamilton. The couple allegedly admitted James was killed several days ago over in Preble County, which is north of Butler County. Hutchinson was brought back to Middletown, and dumped in the Ohio River.
Police did not detail the way in which the child died, the alleged motive behind the killing, or the defendants’ precise actions. Nonetheless, charges make clear how authorities attribute responsibility. Gosney faces a count of murder. Both she and Hamilton are charged with a count each of abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. In other words, the mother allegedly killed her son. Both she and her co-defendant allegedly played roles in getting rid of the victim’s body.
The search for Hutchinson remains ongoing.
“We will be working with trained searchers in an attempt to recover James’s body,” officers said. “The river is very high and treacherous, so we will not be disclosing the exact location in hopes of avoiding another tragic incident.”
[Image of Hutchinson, and mugshots of Gosney and Hamilton via Middletown Division of Police]
