A chilling tale of prolonged abuse has emerged in Wisconsin, revealing years of alleged starvation and brutality inflicted upon six young children. Casey Cano, 38, and Mary Cano, 35, now face severe charges after authorities uncovered a horrifying pattern of neglect and physical harm within their Crawford County home.
From January 2018 to April 2022, prosecutors allege a reign of terror, detailing repeated beatings with belts that left lasting welts and caused significant bleeding. These acts weren’t isolated incidents, but a systematic pattern of control and punishment directed at their own children.
The abuse extended beyond physical violence to a cruel deprivation of basic needs. Food was weaponized, withheld as punishment, pushing the children to the brink of desperation. Their hunger became so extreme they were driven to consume anything they could find – mold, insects, even dog food and grass – just to survive.
Court records paint a picture of unimaginable suffering. One child recounted a sibling being forced to remain in a soiled diaper for three agonizing days as a form of punishment. The details reveal a deliberate infliction of humiliation and degradation alongside the physical and emotional trauma.
The children were initially removed from the home in April 2022, connected to a separate investigation involving the sexual abuse of another child. Their removal offered a glimpse into the darkness they had endured, prompting a deeper investigation into the Cano’s actions.
At the time of the alleged abuse, the children ranged in age from a vulnerable one month to nine years old. The beatings reportedly began when some of the children were mere infants, suggesting a deeply ingrained pattern of violence from the very beginning of their lives.
Mary Cano’s charges include a “party to a crime” modifier, signifying her awareness of the abuse and her failure to intervene. This suggests a complicity that amplified the suffering of her children, allowing the alleged atrocities to continue unchecked.
This isn’t the couple’s first encounter with the law. Casey and Mary were previously convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old in 2022, raising serious questions about a history of predatory behavior and a disregard for the well-being of children.
A renewed investigation launched last December led to the couple’s arrest in March, with both having since posted bond. While their next court date remains unscheduled, the weight of the accusations and the harrowing details of the alleged abuse promise a long and difficult legal battle ahead.
