Prosecutors say Malysa often got angry when the boy went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, saying it woke her. At some point before the duct-taping incident, he decided to defecate in his bedroom rather than risk making her angry for going to the bathroom, they said.
She discovered what he did and punished him by duct-taping to the chair overnight, telling him to sit in it if he had to use the restroom, according to prosecutors.
Tuesday, Malysa’s son stood in court, telling the judge that his mother frequently punished and demeaned him — saying he spent almost 24 hours taped up in that basement before other relatives freed him.
When it was her turn to speak, Malysa’s voice cracked as she tried to apologize, saying she loves her son.
“There’s nothing I can do that will make up for anything that I did, but I’m truly sorry for it,” she said.
Krichbaum said the apology wasn’t enough, however.
“Well, I don’t have to believe you. That’s not love,” he said.