In a tale of resilience and strength, two brothers from Knoxville, Tennessee, who endured unimaginable abuse at the hands of their stepmother and father, managed to escape their nightmarish ordeal around a decade ago. Their harrowing journey from despair to healing serves as a reminder of the human spirit’s capacity to overcome even the darkest of circumstances.
The story of 24-year-old Justin McIntosh and his older brother Austin made headlines in 2013 when they finally escaped the torture they endured for many years. Describing his stepmother, Jessica Cox’s abuse, Justin stated, “She would just beat us. It was just horrible, whether it was with extension cords, hangers, belts, canned goods … I mean, like, literally just anything.”
The boys would even have to go without food for two to three days, and longer if their stepmother was in a bad mood. They would also be forced to stand, sit or kneel, while they were handcuffed for hours, and sometimes days.
Justin then explained that Jessica would have the boys fill the tub with ice-cold water, and then make them put ice cubes into the water. After that she would make the boys get into the freezing water, quickly get on top of them, and push them under.
On May 28, 2013, the boys were handcuffed to a lower cabinet in the kitchen. With them both at their wit's end, they found a way to escape while still handcuffed together. Once they were able to move, they crawled out of a window and started running. Justin’s older brother Austin’s feet were in horrible pain from a recent beating, but that didn’t stop him from running 3 miles into town.
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Once the boys got into town, they ran into a janitor at a high school, who saw the condition they were in and called the authorities. Thankfully, it took no time for the authorities to surround the couple's trailer with their guns drawn, to arrest Jessica Cox and Michael McIntosh.
In 2017, Jessica Cox was convicted of aggravated child abuse and reckless endangerment. Michael McIntosh pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse.
To view the whole story, click the video!
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
