WICHITA COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — A long-awaited trial for the mother of a 6-year-old child, who three years ago was discovered severely malnourished in a Wichita Falls hotel room, is set to begin on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025.
Catherine Lynn Jarvey, 35, of Wichita Falls, stands accused of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, and exploitation of a child.
Both charges stem from September 21, 2022, when police responded to the Delux Inn at around 1:30 a.m. and spoke with an exterminator, who told officers the child looked like a skeleton, and it wasn’t until the skeleton turned and faced him that he realized it was actually a child that was alive.
A detective later responded to the scene, noting that the child was very thin, he could not extend his arms and legs, and he didn’t make any noises. The detective also pointed out that they could see the child’s rib cage, his head was misshapen, and he suffered from a severe curve of the spine.
Court documents revealed that Jarvey lived at the Delux Inn with her two children, the other, a 10-year-old girl, who appeared to be healthy.
Inside the hotel room, police said they discovered several cans of expired Pediasure that Jarvey claimed to have been feeding the child.
Police would later learn that the 6-year-old boy weighed just 15 pounds, less than the first percentile for his age and gender, and according to his medical records, the child weighed more at 18 months old.
According to court documents, the child had no food at all in his stomach when he was admitted to the hospital, suggesting he hadn’t been fed in 24 to 48 hours.
He was transported to Cook Children’s Medical Center, where the child was diagnosed with severe malnutrition, failure to thrive, developmental delay, hypothermia, refeeding syndrome, medical neglect, and physical neglect.
With a physician noting, quote, “I see patients for neglect every day. This is one of the worst I’ve ever seen. This is really egregious.”
Jarvey was arrested on October 14 and has been held in the Wichita County Jail since then on bonds totaling $70,000, at one point, sending a hand-written letter to the judge requesting a lower bond and offering to take a plea for 10 years probation. That request was denied.
Jarvey’s trial was initially set to begin over a year ago, on August 5, 2024, in the 89th District Court. However, a continuance was granted after Jarvey’s defense attorney filed a motion, claiming thousands of pages of documents related to the case had been produced by prosecutors.
Before a new trial date could be set, the case was transferred to the 78th District Court, with Judge Meredith Kennedy setting the new date for June 2, 2025.
However, the trial was delayed once again due to a defense expert witness being out of the country, with a new trial date set for September 22, 2025.
Jury selection gets going on Monday, where a pool of 80 Wichita County residents will be narrowed down to the 12 men and women tasked with determining Jarvey’s fate.
Prosecuting the case is Chelsea Carlton, Wichita County Assistant District Attorney. Defense attorney Stephen Holland is representing Jarvey, with Kiara Vaughters assisting.
According to court documents, around 90 individuals have been subpoenaed as potential witnesses. Prosecutors estimate the trial will take at least two weeks.
Jarvey’s attorney filed a notice that she’s elected to have the jury set her punishment if they first find her guilty. She faces up to life in prison if convicted.
This is a developing story. Stick with Texoma’s Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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