Waukegan Mother Released After Holding Daughter In Basement, Father Still In Custody
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Waukegan mother accused of locking her daughter in a basement was released from the Lake County Jail on her own recognizance.
Katherine Swopes was ordered to have no contact with her husband Randy Swopes.
He remains in custody and is being held for a mental evaluation.
Randy and Katherine Swopes were arrested on July 17, charged with unlawful restraint and child endangerment.
Police and prosecutors said they kept their 10-year-old daughter locked in the basement, believing she was possessed by a demon.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said they have had at least five encounters with the family since the 1990s.
DCFS first had contact with the couple in 1994 in downstate Illinois. They underwent five months of counseling for abuse allegations regarding two of their three children.
In 2006, the family was investigated for medical neglect for refusing treatment for their son based on religious reasons.
Two years later, the family again was investigated for refusing medical treatment for their children for religious reasons.
Randy Swopes allegedly used thread and glue to stitch the wound of his 14-year-old son, resulting from a health condition.
He was charged with aggravated battery, and later agreed to a plea deal that sentenced him to 24 months of probation and 250 hours of public service.
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