HAMILTON — A Butler County judge set bond at $2 million for the mother of James Hutchinson and $750,000 for her boyfriend, both facing charges stemming from the boy’s death in late February.
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Brittney Gosney, 29, and James Hamilton, 42, entered not guilty pleas to over 30 combined charges in Butler County court. Both are due back in court today, May 24, according to court records.
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The couple was indicted on 31 combined charges by a Butler County grand jury.
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Gosney faces 16 charges including murder, involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, child endangering, kidnapping, and gross abuse of a corpse. Hamilton faces 15 charges including, kidnapping, gross abuse of a corpse, child endangering, tampering with evidence, and abduction.
Investigators have accused Gosney of killing Hutchinson while attempting to abandon him and his two siblings at Rush Run Wildlife Area on Feb. 27. Hutchinson was killed when he grabbed the van as Gosney drove away, either dragging or running the boy over, investigators said.
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Court records indicate Gosney attempted to abandon her three children after facing pressure by Hamilton to do so.
About a day after Hutchinson’s death, Gosney and Hamilton drove the boy’s body to Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and dumped his body into the Ohio River from the I-275 bridge, investigators said.
Searches involving dozens of people have so far been unsuccessful in recovering Hutchinson’s body from the river.
According to a report from the Journal-News, the case will not be prosecuted as a death penalty case. Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser told the newspaper the evidence in the case does not meet the specifications for a death penalty case.
Gosney’s actions as accused do not “constitute aggravated murder and you can not have a death penalty without aggravated murder,” Gmoser told the newspaper.