Parents Guilty of Starving Son to Death

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A Seventh-day Adventist couple was convicted Friday of third-degree murder in the starvation death of their 14-year-old son during a six-week religious fast.

The 12-member jury deliberated for an hour and 45 minutes over two days before finding that Larry Cottam, 39, an unemployed truck driver and former Seventh-day Adventist minister, and his 38-year-old wife, Leona, failed in their parental duty to provide food for their children.

Luzerne County Judge Gifford Cappellini denied the prosecution’s motion to increase bail, which is set at $50,000 each. However, the judge stipulated that the Cottams’ defense lawyers must see them in person at least once a week to observe them and make sure they “are maintaining a proper level of existence.”

The panel of seven women and five men also found the couple guilty of two counts each of recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of children for neglecting to feed the son, Eric, and his 12-year-old sister, Laura.

The family began its fast in November and Eric died of starvation Jan. 3 at his Nuangola home. Laura Cottam has been in the care of foster parents since her discharge from the hospital in February.

The Cottams could each be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison on the murder charge and up to eight years in prison for the other offenses.

At the time of Eric’s death, the Cottams had $3,700 in cash and savings, which they told authorities they could not use to buy food because it was for God.