Father and Stepmother Arrested for Horrifying Abuse

A Wisconsin father has admitted to horrific abuse that left his 15-year-old daughter weighing just 58 pounds, severely malnourished, and forced to stand for hours with her hands raised in a locked bedroom.

Tristan Hull, 40, pleaded guilty this week to chronic neglect of a child with great bodily harm. His wife, 33-year-old Brittany Hull — the girl’s stepmother — is still facing charges of child neglect and abuse.

According to a criminal complaint, paramedics were called to the family’s Rib Mountain home on Oct. 15, 2023, after Tristan claimed his daughter began choking on a protein shake. When first responders arrived, she was unresponsive, severely dehydrated, and in critical condition. Doctors later ruled out any medical reason for her condition, concluding she was at least 30 pounds underweight and suffering from “severe malnutrition” and dehydration so extreme her organs were shutting down.

Hospital staff said the girl gained nearly five pounds in just eight days away from her father and stepmother, quickly increasing her food intake once in their care.

The family’s pastor told investigators he had watched her health decline for years, saying she appeared “literally starving” during church activities and would hide snacks in her pockets to eat in secret.

The girl told detectives her stepmother was “very strict” about food, often refusing to let her eat breakfast or snacks while her siblings were fed normally. She was allegedly given a “special diet” of just 16 ounces of water a day and sometimes forced to eat away from the family. Surveillance footage from her locked bedroom reportedly showed her crying and shaking as she was made to stand for hours with her hands in the air, while Tristan and Brittany ordered her to raise them higher.

Investigators said there was plenty of food in the home and no sign of neglect toward her siblings.

Tristan Hull will be sentenced on Oct. 29.