11-Year-Old Forced To Watch Family Eat Full Meals Before Dying of Starvation

 11-Year-Old Forced To Watch Family Eat Full Meals Before Dying of Starvation

Aaron James Moran, 42, the biological father of 11-year-old Miana Moran, was arrested on charges related to her death from starvation and neglect, according to police reports and court documents.

Moran was taken into custody over the weekend where authorities executed a sealed arrest warrant. He faces one count of murder of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian by refusal or failure to supply necessities and one count of child neglect resulting in death.

According to the West Virginia State Police affidavit obtained by WCHS, deputies responded to a call on February 16, 2025, at approximately 8:40 p.m., regarding an unresponsive juvenile at a residence. Upon arrival, they found Miana Moran lying on the kitchen floor, appearing severely underweight and malnourished, wearing disposable pull-ups, and not breathing.

Emergency medical services transported her to Grafton City Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:32 p.m. The autopsy conducted by the medical examiner's office determined the cause of death as bilateral, diffuse, acute bronchopneumonia, with failure to thrive as a contributing factor. Miana weighed just 43 pounds, which was markedly below the fifth percentile for her age, and showed signs of head lice, yellowish skin tint, extreme thinness with protruding bones, and multiple bruises and lacerations.

Shannon Robinson, 51, Miana's stepmother and primary caregiver, was arrested earlier in January 2026 on similar charges of murder of a child by a parent or guardian by refusal and child neglect resulting in death. Both Moran and Robinson had been indicted by the same grand jury.

Investigators allege that Robinson and Moran kept Miana isolated from the outside world and denied her medical care since 2020, fearing reports of child abuse due to her condition. Records show no doctor visits for Miana after she began living with Robinson in 2020. Witnesses reported that Miana had been visibly ill since mid-2024, with her health declining to the point where she could not walk without assistance and spent most of her time sleeping.

The affidavit further states that food deprivation was allegedly used as punishment, with Miana denied meals or given minimal nourishment while other household members consumed full meals in her presence. Household members told investigators that Miana had ongoing diarrhea for an extended period, leading to her being kept in diapers, and had experienced flu-like symptoms for a week prior to her death, but no medical treatment was sought.

Moran was booked into the North Central Regional Jail without bond. Court records do not indicate an immediate scheduled court appearance for him.