BUFFALO, N.Y. — Calling it one of the most egregious cases of child abuse he's ever seen, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced charges against a Cheektowaga couple for allegedly repeatedly terrorizing a female child, including threats to kill her.
Kevin McGonnell, 40, and Carol Steinagle, 54 are facing two counts of kidnapping, four counts of assault, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
McGonnell also faces an additional charge of strangulation in the second degree for one alleged incident that resulted in the victim losing consciousness.
Flynn said the alleged abuse took place over a 26 month period, between November 2017 through January 2020.
“Besides an actual homicide, this might be the most egregious thing I’ve seen here in my four years,” said Flynn. He said the child reported the abuse to someone and said she was beaten almost daily. Despite the presence of other children in the home, he said there was no evidence that any of the other children were abused.
Flynn says the child was allegedly kept in a bedroom or the garage for 12 hours at a time and terrorized on numerous occasions. He says her movements were restricted with the threat of deadly force if the she did not comply. He also said the child was denied basic needs, including access to food, clothing and use of the bathroom.
Both McGonnell and Steinagle are being held without bail until their next court appearance on Thursday. If convicted of the charges, both face a maximum of 25-year-to-life in prison
