By admin 
SURRY COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) —Three years after the death of their adopted son, a set of parents have been sentenced in his death via hypoxic brain injury.
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According to court documents, on July 8, Joseph Paul Wilson and Jodi Ann Wilson, of Mount Airy, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and felony child abuse in connection with the 2023 death of Skyler Wilson.
Jodi and Joseph Wilson were both sentenced to a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 31 years in prison, with a credit for 1272 days, about three and a half years, they have already spent in custody for the second-degree murder charge. Then they will serve a minimum of 7 years and a maximum of 9 years 5 months for the child abuse charge. This ultimately comes out to roughly between 29 and 37 years.
The initial charges came in January 2023, days after Skyler Wilson died of what medical professionals determined was a hypoxic brain injury, which is caused by a lack of oxygen getting to the brain for an extended period of time, and less than a month after a former foster parent expressed concerns about the boy’s treatment to officials.
From court documents and other official filings, a timeline emerged:
- Dec. 7, 2022: Skyler Wilson’s former foster mother talked to a care worker with the Surry County Department of Social Services, worried for the safety of the children. She filed a formal report about her concerns.
- Jan. 5, 2023: Joseph Wilson got a text from his wife, Jodi Wilson, that there was a “problem” with “swaddling” Skyler, warrants say. She also allegedly sent a picture of the 4-year-old wrapped in a sheet or a blanket, face-down on the Wilsons’ living room floor with duct tape attaching him to the floor. He was subsequently taken to the hospital.
- Jan. 6, 2023: The Department of Social Services contacted the sheriff’s office about the case.
- Jan. 9, 2023: Skyler Wilson died in the hospital from a hypoxic brain injury.
- Jan. 11, 2023: A detective interviewed a former foster parent of Skyler and his brother, who “advised that Jodi Wilson had told her about the ‘pouching,’ swaddling, food restriction, refusal of [Skyler’s brother] to walk by himself, the gating of Skyler in a room for excessive ‘alone’ time, and the exorcisms of both children.”
- Jan. 13, 2023: Joseph and Jodi Wilson were charged with Skyler Wilson’s murder and taken into custody with no bond. Their three biological children and Skyler’s brother were taken into custody by social services.
- Jan. 23, 2023: Joseph and Jodi Wilson were indicted by a grand jury for one count of murder.
- April 4, 2023: A judge barred the release of photos, autopsy reports or videos associated with Skyler Wilson’s case out of concern it could impact the Wilsons’ right to a fair trial.
- Oct. 9, 2024: A grand jury indicted the Wilsons for felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injuries.
Over the course of the investigation, warrants shed light on the debunked therapy practices the Wilsons had been using on the boy, with a former foster parent alleging that they had performed exorcisms on Skyler and his brother. Documents stated that the Wilsons were using duct tape to attach the boy to the floor.
Police seized the following items from the home in the course of their investigation:
- Three white surveillance-type cameras
- Mueller sport wraps
- Handwritten documents
- USB drives
- Books
- SD card from Wii
- Notebooks & binder
- Cameras containing SD cards
- 3 tablets from a playroom
- Dell Optiplex 7020 tower with power cord
- Hitachi laptop
The warrants revealed that the parents had been using the parenting advice of Nancy Thomas, a woman who has no licensure in the realm of childhood therapies, but advertises herself as a “professional therapeutic parent.” According to a January 2023 archive of Thomas’s website, “Nancy Thomas is not a doctor, psychiatrist or therapist. She is an amazing mom who has, through years of search, study and experience, found solutions to parenting challenging children.” The HBO documentary “Child of Rage” was made about Thomas’s daughter, Beth, and her therapy practices.
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A recorded Zoom call with Thomas was found during the investigation, according to court documents. However, in a statement given to FOX8 at the time of Skyler Wilson’s death, Thomas said, “I have no knowledge of the incident.”
Thomas has advocated for attachment therapy, including heavy surveillance, use of restraints and deprivation of food as part of her alleged therapeutic practices. She has also advocated for “holding therapy,” which refers to one or more people physically restraining a child to draw an emotional response from them under the belief that this will make the child more pliable to the parent or professional. Medical professionals have debunked and denounced attachment therapy and holding therapy.
In one of her books on the subject, Thomas wrote that she believes many children diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder, or “RAD,” had Satanic influences, stating, “Most of the children I have had in my home have shared with me that before they arrived they either did not believe in God, hated Him or worshiped the devil.”
Attachment therapy should not be confused with attachment theory, a legitimate development psychology theory emphasizing the importance of children having an emotional bond with their caregivers, according to Simply Psychology.
Skyler Wilson is not the first North Carolina child whose death has been connected to attachment therapy. Candace Newmaker died in Colorado in the year 2000 after what professionals called a “rebirthing ceremony.”
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