Wyoming stepdad, 36, tortured 13-year-old son and forced him to live in 'crawl space' under house

Truman Sitting Eagle (pictured left), a Wyoming man, has pleaded guilty to assault causing serious bodily injury after he was charged with torturing and starving his 13-year-old stepson with his wife Kandace (pictured right)

A Wyoming man has pleaded guilty to assault causing serious bodily injury after being charged with torturing and starving his 13-year-old stepson alongside his wife.

Truman Sitting Eagle, 36, was accused of forcing the boy to live in a crawl space under their Araphoe home with no access to food. The federal investigation began in December of last year after the boy had been absent from school for a month.

The federal investigation dates back to December of last year after the couple's son had been missing from school for a month. Matt Lee, a school resource officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, made multiple attempts to find him but was unsuccessful, according to the FBI

Matt Lee, a school resource officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, made several attempts to locate him but was unsuccessful until December 12 when Sitting Eagle eventually revealed the boy's hiding place in the crawl space. The boy exhibited signs of physical trauma, including bruises, a swollen face, and significant weight loss.

He was immediately taken to a local healthcare facility and later airlifted to a hospital in Salt Lake City for further treatment. Medical examination revealed extensive bruising and cuts on his body, indicating prolonged abuse and neglect.

When he was interviewed by investigators, the boy said that his parents told him he was causing a mouse problem and stealing food from them

During interviews with investigators, the boy detailed how his stepfather and mother, Kandace Sitting Eagle, 33, subjected him to physical abuse, locked him in his room, and restricted his access to food, attributing his behavior to causing a mouse problem and stealing food.

He recounted instances of being physically assaulted, including being put in a chokehold until unconsciousness by his stepfather. Despite occasional meals, he endured hunger and mistreatment for an extended period.

The family's other children, all under the age of nine, were interviewed and confirmed they had seen their brother abused

The boy's siblings corroborated his accounts of abuse, adding weight to the federal charges filed against the Sitting Eagles. Truman Sitting Eagle entered a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on April 4 and is awaiting sentencing on July 9, facing a minimum of ten years in prison.

Meanwhile, Kandace Sitting Eagle's prosecution is ongoing, and she has yet to enter a guilty plea, facing multiple felony charges related to the abuse and confinement her son endured.

The boy was forced to hide in a crawl space at the couple's home in Araphoe, Wyoming