Parents of caged girl appear in court

GLOUCESTER, Va. (WAVY) - The Gloucester parents accused of starving and caging their young daughter appeared before a judge Tuesday.

Shannon and Brian Gore were in court facing felony child neglect and attempted capital murder charges, which were both certified to the grand jury.

The lead detective in the case was the only witness in Tuesday's preliminary hearing. He told the judge when he entered the couple's mobile home in April he found their now seven-year-old daughter in a cage made out of a crib. The detective said the child was suffering from bed sores and severe starvation.

Even Shannon's attorney, Ron Smith, admits that with the child neglect charge this will be a tough case.

"There's nothing you can think. It's terrible. We are very fortunate the detective came in and found her," Smith said.

According to the Gloucester Sheriff's Office, the seven-year-old has been awarded to the state and is now with a family outside of Gloucester. The Gores also have a young son, who is also in foster care.

Back in April, police also found the remains of a child behind a shed on the Gore's property. During the preliminary hearing, the murder charge tied to that discovery was dropped, but it could be brought back by the grand jury.

"This is a case of neglect. We admit that. That is negligence, but it is not the premeditated intent to kill. That is not what happened. That's not attempted murder. That is not what happened here," Smith explained.

Both Brian and Shannon remain in jail without bond.