ACKLEY, Iowa (AP) — A trial has been scheduled for a woman accused of helping her boyfriend torture his 8-year-old son by locking him in a basement enclosure, withholding food and making him endure dog bites.
Hardin County District Court records say 39-year-old Traci Tyler on Monday has entered a written plea of not guilty to a kidnapping charge. Her trial is set to begin Sept. 11. The boy’s father, 30-year-old Alex Shadlow, is scheduled to enter a plea Monday.
An arrest affidavit says the boy was locked for at least 9 hours a day last summer in an enclosed space under the basement stairs at the Ackley home, where he slept on concrete and had no access to a bathroom.
Police say Tyler also urged her dog to attack the boy, which left scars on his back and limbs.
