Back in October, I mentioned the tragic story of Mitch Comer, a teenager from Dallas, Georgia, north of Atlanta. His mother Sheila and stepfather Paul locked him up in his own room for four years before putting him on a bus to Los Angeles with only $200 and telling him never to return. A retired LAPD cop who was working security at the LA terminal found Mitch wandering around and got in touch with his former colleagues, who in turn alerted authorities in Georgia. The so-called parents were arrested, and have been in jail ever since.
Well, this story now has something of a happy ending. Earlier today, Paul and Sheila Comer pleaded guilty to charges of cruelty to children and false imprisonment. They were sentenced to 15 years in prison and 15 years' probation, and also can't have unsupervised contact with ANY minors.
By pleading guilty, the Comers avoided a trial and possible sentences of more than 100 years behind bars. As a condition of the plea deal, the Comers also must forfeit all of their assets, which will go into a trust fund for their three children. Half of their money will go to Mitch and the remaining to the couple’s two younger daughters.
“I wanted the kids to have something,” Paulding County District Attorney Dick Donovan said. “They’re not going to have parents.”
The plea deal avoided a trial that would have likely included some pretty disturbing testimony, given the details. By the time the guard found Mitch, he only weighed 97 pounds and his skin had turned translucent. He'd gone so long without a decent meal that he devoured some crackers LAPD officers gave him. The Comers' two daughters would have likely also had to testify at trial. It's a near-certainty they were abused as well--especially since Sheila Comer's lawyer claims she and her husband were merely trying to discipline an unruly child (though the lawyer admits they should have reached out for help). They've been in protective custody since October.
Mitch himself is back in school in an undisclosed part of Georgia, and has been doing very well since his return. He's probably going to need counseling for the rest of his life.