Mother accused of starving children pleads guilty

CLEVELAND (WOIO/Gray News) - An Ohio mother pleaded guilty to the death of her 2-year-old son and the “severe” neglect of her two other children.

Niesha Walls pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of endangering children, one count of involuntary manslaughter, and one count of felonious assault. She will be sentenced on Sept. 30.

“It is unimaginable to think a mother would do nothing while her children starved,” said Prosecutor Michael O’Malley after Walls was arrested in August 2024.

According to O’Malley, officers were called to the family’s Cleveland home for a welfare check. When they got to the home, officers said the house was in “deplorable” condition, and Noell Walls was unresponsive. He died at home.

O’Malley added that the little boy also had an untreated medical condition.

The other two children, who were ages 9 and 11 at the time, appeared to be severely malnourished and were taken to an area hospital.