BUFFALO, N.Y. — A New York couple was charged Tuesday in what Erie County District Attorney John Flynn called a first for his office.
“Beside an actual homicide, this may be the most egregious thing that I have seen in four years here,” Flynn told WKBW, referencing the charges levied against Kevin McGonnell, 40, and Carol Steinagle, 54, of Cheektowaga.
Flynn told the TV station that the word “torture” was used in the case’s medical records, which is something his office had never encountered.
McGonnell and Steinagle are each facing two counts of kidnapping, four counts of assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child whom they are accused of repeatedly terrorizing and threatening to kill, WGRZ reported.
McGonnell also faces an additional charge of second-degree strangulation for one alleged incident that resulted in the female victim losing consciousness, according to court documents.
“The torture that occurred to this child is unconscionable and may be the most horrific thing I have seen in my four years here,” Flynn told WKBW.
According to the TV station, McGonnell and Steinagle allegedly kept the child in a bedroom in their garage for 12-hour stretches during a 26-month period, forcing her to sit cross-legged on a wooden floor and restricting access to clothing, food and the bathroom.
Flynn said multiple weapons – including a leather belt, a leather belt with holes containing metal, a wooden spoon and a pair of steel-toe boots – were used to assault the child.
Both McGonnell and Steinagle face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the charges.