COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Attorneys for the family of an 8-year-old boy who died in 2024 formally announced a lawsuit against Franklin County, among other defendants, on Thursday.

ABC 6 reported the wrongful-death lawsuit Wednesday, and attorneys addressed it during a news conference Thursday. (Watch below)

The lawsuit focuses on the abuse Martonio Wilder suffered before his body was found in a trash bag in the attic of a Columbus-area home.

The lawsuit focuses on the abuse Martonio suffered before his June 2024 death. An autopsy revealed he died from asphyxiation caused by neck compression and had also suffered from severe malnutrition and dehydration.

The suit names Franklin County Children Services, the National Youth Advocacy Program, caseworker Haleigh Ingham, additional Franklin County officials, and Franklin County Job & Family Services. NYAP provides support for case management and Ingham worked for the organization, according to the lawsuit.

“This civil action addresses what happened outside the home,” attorney Robert Gresham said Thursday. “Who was responsible for checking on Martonio?”

According to the lawsuit, NYAP provided support for case management involving Martonio and his family, and Ingham worked for the organization.

Attorneys representing the Wilder family say the agencies responsible for protecting children ignored warning signs and failed to properly monitor Martonio’s safety.

“This civil action addresses what happened outside the home,” attorney Robert Gresham said Thursday. “Who was responsible for checking on Martonio? Who failed to verify his safety? This is a problem in this county.”

Added fellow attorney Anthony Pierson: “In every step of the way, the community failed this boy.”

“This case is larger than one child,” Pierson added. “It raises the fundamental question of, ‘Is this children’s services agency, these entities, designed to protect our children, holding up to what they are supposed to?”

Attorneys say Martonio’s condition showed clear signs of ongoing abuse and neglect that should have been discovered long before his death.

According to the lawsuit, Martonio’s mother, Lashanda Wilder, had previously lost custody of him before regaining custody through NYAP.

Court records also state that before Martonio’s death, a relative warned Columbus police that Martonio and other children would be tortured, abused, and placed in danger if they returned home with their mother. Despite this warning, the children were allowed to leave with her.

“This wasn’t a just a surprise incident,” Pierson added. “There there were a lot of things leading up to this. There were signs all over the place. The family wants full accountability and also to make sure that this type of incident doesn’t happen to another family.”

The lawsuit claims Martonio “remained in a dangerous home environment” because agencies failed to properly monitor the family.

“Martonio didn’t need a system that could explain his death after the fact,” Gresham said. “He needed a system that protected him while he was alive. This lawsuit is about evaluating what happened while he was alive.”

The complaint says Martonio’s “extreme low body weight, visible malnutrition, hunger, reported punishments, and escalating abuse” should have been identified and acted on by child welfare workers. The complaint alleges wrongful death, reckless and wanton conduct, negligence, statutory mandatory-reporter liability/negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation and negligent hiring, training, and supervising.

The lawsuit also accuses caseworker ‘Haleigh Ingham’ of falsifying records to make it appear she completed legally required monthly visits to the boy’s home when those visits allegedly never happened.

Ingham has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of tampering with records. On Thursday, Ingham’s attorney declined to comment on the case.

Attorneys for the Wilder family say paperwork became a substitute for real oversight. They are seeking roughly $25,000 in financial damages, but ultimately want accountability from the county agencies.

“This lawsuit asks a different question,” Pierson explained. “How does a child disappear in plain sight under the watchful eye of the entity that is there to protect him? That’s the question. That question deserves answers. This family deserves the truth.”

The complaint states the caseworker was required to personally verify Martonio’s safety and escalate concerns if his wellbeing could not be confirmed.

Children Services confirmed Ingham left the agency shortly after Martonio’s death and has not been connected to any child welfare cases since that time.

“It should be noted that this caseworker left NYAP soon after Martonio’s death and has not been connected to any case or child in the care of Franklin County Children Services since that time,” said Scott Varner with FCCS.

“Because the safety of a child depends on an entire ecosystem of support, the weight of a tragedy like this should not be placed solely on the shoulders of a single caseworker,” Varner added. “Keeping children safer is a shared responsibility that requires neighbors, educators, and families to look out for one another long before a crisis occurs. See something, say something.”

Family attorneys say the lawsuit is meant to examine broader failures within the child welfare system and prevent similar tragedies from happening again.

“I cannot imagine the type of pain and anguish this 8-year-old boy went through,” Pierson said.

Lashanda Wilder and her girlfriend, Johnna Lowe, both pleaded guilty in Martonio’s death last year and are currently serving life sentences.

FCCS says NYAP is assigned to roughly 480 ongoing cases each year to support families needing additional services.

“I think the first step and what this lawsuit is really aimed at isn’t an investigation into the facts of what was known, what wasn’t known, what should have been done,” Gresham explained.

Pierson says the Wilder family is not emotionally ready to speak with media.