Steubenville couple charged in death of 2-year-old in their care

STEUBENVILLE -- Charges against a Fifth Street couple have been upgraded to reckless homicide following the death of a 2-year-old who died in their care.

The child, identified by family members as Aiden Charles Michael Oxley, was found dead Friday.

His mother, Melissa Barnes, 35, and Kaylin Franklin, 29, both of 712 N. Fifth St., were initially arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, but the charges were upgraded to reckless homicide Monday.

They were arraigned in Steubenville Municipal Court, where Judge John Mascio set bond at $250,000 each.

The toddler's father, Shawn Oxley, said in a social media posting that the child suffered from starvation and dehydration.

Shayann Oxley, who set up a GoFundMe account, said the tot "was a loving and happy little boy who always knew how to put a smile on someone's face."

"He loved to play with his toys and was very fascinated with playing ball," she wrote. "He loved being around his grandmother and all of this siblings. His little soul was nothing but pure."

In a separate matter, the Mingo Junction man police believed was responsible for a shooting incident Thursday in Steubenville's South End is back in Ohio.

Ji'On Morris, 18, of 400 St. Claire Ave. was returned from the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville Monday, where he'd been held since his arrest several hours after Thursday's incident, the second of two that day involving guns in the city.

He's currently facing charges of felonious assault and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, but additional charges are anticipated.

Police allege Morris fired shots in the 400 block of South Sixth Street shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday, then fled the scene. Witnesses gave police a description of the suspect, and police were able to track him to the Holiday Inn in Weirton. He was taken into custody as he left the hotel.

Earlier that same day an unidentified man was shot in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, but he refused to talk to police. While his injuries required treatment they were not life-threatening.

Those shootings followed a series of shootings on the morning of Aug. 9 that left a woman dead and two others wounded.