FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two people have been arrested and charged with third-degree murder in connection with the death of a 6-year-old boy here, and his sibling has been taken into protective custody.
Bobbie Christine Bishop, 40, and Walter Henry Wynhoff, 44, both of Fergus Falls, were being held Tuesday, April 10, in Otter Tail County Jail and both are charged with third-degree murder.
Authorities said an investigation was launched into “suspicious” circumstances surrounding the death of the boy who was brought to a local hospital at 4:15 a.m. Monday, April 9, unconscious and not breathing. Attempts to revive the boy were unsuccessful.
“There is clear indication that the deceased had been a victim of neglect and abuse,” Fergus Falls police said in a news release.
One sibling was found living in the same home and was taken into protective custody, police said.
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The victim and his sibling moved to Otter Tail County in August and moved to Fergus Falls in January, police said. They were living with Bishop, described as a “family friend,” and Wynhoff.
Neither child was enrolled in school, according to police. Their legal guardian lives in Montana, and police said they’re working with authorities there to notify the family.
The victim’s body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office in St. Paul for an autopsy. The investigation is still active, and police said no other information was available Tuesday.
