DAYTON — New documents surrounding the mental health of the Middletown mom accused of murdering her six-year-old son in Preble County show that she claimed she tried giving up custody of her three children.
News Center 7 first reported on Brittany Gosney’s competency report Monday after obtaining a copy through a public records request. The I-Team has been reviewing the 10-page document since Monday afternoon and has uncovered new context in the case.
>> RELATED: Middletown mother accused of killing son ruled competent to stand trial
Gosney is accused of murdering her youngest child, six-year-old James Hutchinson, in a Preble County park before prosecutors say she and her boyfriend, James Hamilton, stashed the boy’s body in their Middletown home before driving to Lawrenceburg, Indiana and dumping his remains into the Ohio River. As of today, investigators have not recovered Hutchinson’s body.
For the last two months, investigators have said Gosney was attempting to abandon her three children in the middle of the night at Rush Run Wildlife Area in Sommerville when she murdered Hutchinson.
Preble County deputies wrote in court documents that after Gosney had gotten all three kids out of her car, she sped away. But, deputies wrote, that’s when little James reached for a door handle and Gosney dragged him to his death in the park’s parking lot.
Since the beginning of this case, many have wondered why Gosney didn’t just give up her children before the six-year-old’s murder?
>> RELATED: Mother, boyfriend accused of killing 6-year-old indicted on 31 felonies
As the I-Team has had time to review her competency report, the document is providing new context.
The psychologist who evaluated Gosney wrote, " … Ms. Gosney noted that she had tried to explore options to relinquish her parental rights and ‘give up’ her children prior to the offenses charged, she indicated that she was met with a number of barriers in her attempts to do so.”
The I-Team has not been able to confirm who Gosney might have tried to contact about that and when.
The document also sheds new light on the months leading up to Hutchinson’s death.
It says Gosney met her boyfriend and now co-defendant, James Hamilton, about a year before the child’s murder.
In the report, the psychologist wrote that Gosney said she and Lewis Hutchinson, who is James Hutchinson’s father, moved in with Lewis’ sister. The document says that woman was married to James Hamilton.
The report said the two couples lived together, raising their children in the same home until, “(Lewis) Hutchinson and his sister began accusing the defendant (Gosney) and her co-defendant (Hamilton) of being sexually involved.”
The document goes onto say, “while Ms. Gosney stated that this was not true at the time, she and Mr. Hamilton subsequently moved out of the home with her three children, going to stay in a local hotel until they were able to secure housing. They subsequently developed a romantic/sexual relationship.”
>>RELATED: Timeline: How the investigation into James Hutchinson’s death unfolded
Then, the report says the couple moved into their Middletown home “a week” before Hutchinson’s murder in February.
Lastly, the document is providing new insight into Gosney’s past and her demeanor when speaking with investigators.
The court document shows Gosney also told the psychologist she’s a childhood sexual assault survivor.
At one point in the document, the psychologist wrote, “It was also noted that she did not appear to present with distress as she discussed the offenses charged, including the death of her youngest child instead, discussing this in a matter-of-fact manner and presenting with no emotional attachment to others.”
James Hamilton is due in court for his next hearing in Butler County on May 24. That’s the same day Brittany Gosney is due in court next, too. Her jury trial is scheduled to start in Butler County Common Pleas Court May 24.
The I-Team will continue to follow this case and bring you any new developments as they happen.
Cox Media Group
