A Mount Airy, North Carolina couple has been sentenced to decades behind bars after pleading guilty to the second-degree murder and abuse of their 4-year-old adopted son, Skyler Wilson, who died in January 2023 from a hypoxic-ischemic brain injury caused by prolonged physical restraint and malnutrition.

Joseph Paul Wilson, 45, and Jodi Ann Wilson, 42, each pleaded guilty on July 8, 2026, in Surry County Superior Court to second-degree murder, felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to commit felony child abuse. Judge Angela B. Puckett sentenced them to 25–31 years for the murder charge (with credit for approximately 3.5 years served) plus a consecutive 7–9.5 years for the child abuse charges, resulting in a total of roughly 29–40 years in prison.

On January 5, 2023, Jodi Wilson wrapped Skyler in a bedsheet and duct-taped him face-down to the floor of the family’s home for several hours as a form of “discipline” or “swaddling.” Joseph Wilson, who was at work, returned home for lunch, saw the child restrained, purchased additional supplies including duct tape earlier that day, and left him in that condition before returning to work. Later that afternoon, Jodi texted her husband: “Hurry home, I think I have hurt him.” Joseph called 911 reporting a seizure; responders found Skyler unresponsive and not breathing on his own. He was taken to Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, where he died on January 9 after being removed from life support.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was hypoxic-ischemic brain injury due to compressional and positional asphyxia from the prolonged restraint. Starvation ketoacidosis was a contributing factor; Skyler was severely malnourished and underweight, making him less able to survive the ordeal.

The couple had adopted controversial “attachment therapy” practices from books on parenting adopted children but escalated them significantly, including food restriction, isolation (“gating”), physical restraints with wrist and ankle braces, and alleged exorcisms performed on Skyler and his sibling. A former foster parent had warned Surry County Department of Social Services about concerns for the children’s welfare less than a month before Skyler’s death.

Evidence included text messages and photos exchanged between the Wilsons showing the restraint method, surveillance cameras in the home, and duct tape residue. The investigation was led by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

The Wilsons waived their right to appeal as part of the plea agreement. Skyler’s death has drawn widespread attention to issues of child welfare oversight and the dangers of unregulated “therapies” involving restraint.

Sources: People Magazine