Arturo Francisco Coca, an 8-year-old boy, was found unresponsive on November 5, 2022, at his home in West Odessa, Ector County, Texas. Emergency responders performed CPR and he was transported to Medical Center Hospital, where life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. A forensic pathologist determined the cause of death was asphyxiation by manual strangulation with underlying causes of neglect. At the time of death, the child weighed only 35 pounds, was severely malnourished, and had lacerations on his head, legs, and back, as well as hemorrhaging in his neck. His mother, Megan Lange (29), and stepfather, Rodolfo Reyes (33), were both arrested. Lange was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole; Reyes was indicted on a lesser charge of injury to a child by omission and was deemed incompetent to stand trial at one point. Reyes later wrote a letter to the judge detailing a pattern of severe abuse by Lange, including applying hot sauce to the child's genitals, throwing him into walls, forcing him to sleep in a closet or standing up, and telling him she wished he would die. The child had not attended school since the 2020-2021 school year, and there were six other children living in the home.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The cause of death was "asphyxiation by manual strangulation" (Document 2, Document 4). Multiple sources note "lacerations on his head, legs and back" (Document 2). Document 4 describes Reyes' account that Lange would "put holes in the walls throughout their house by throwing Arturo at them" and "slap him in the face." The forensic pathologist also found "hemorrhaging in his neck" (Document 4).
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Multiple sources explicitly describe malnutrition. Document 2 states: "Investigators and hospital staff noticed Arturo appeared malnourished and small for his age" and "the 8-year-old boy weighed 35 pounds." Document 4 confirms the forensic pathologist "found the boy to be malnourished." The headline of Document 4 itself reads: "Mom convicted of strangling, starving son to death."
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
While no document uses the term "medical neglect" specifically for Arturo, the forensic pathologist ruled the cause of death included "underlying causes of neglect" (Document 2, Document 4). The child weighed only 35 pounds at age 8, was severely malnourished, and had not been in school since the 2020-2021 school year — strongly implying the child received no medical care despite clearly needing it. The parents attributed his condition to diabetes but provided no evidence of diagnosis or treatment.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Document 4 describes a detailed pattern of prolonged, deliberately cruel treatment as described in Reyes' letter to the judge. He claimed Lange "often put a jalapeno or hot sauce on the boy's penis when he urinated on himself, put holes in the walls throughout their house by throwing Arturo at them, slap him in the face and force him to sleep in a closet and sleep standing up." Reyes further claimed "Lange told Arturo she hated him and wished he'd die." These actions constitute torture, confinement, humiliation, and sustained cruelty extending well beyond typical physical abuse or neglect.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Megan Lange is identified as Arturo's biological mother. Document 3 states: "The mother and step-father of an 8-year-old boy have been arrested in Ector County for capital murder." Document 4 confirms she was "convicted of capital murder" in his death. She was in "care, custody and control of the child at the time of his death" (Document 3).
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Rodolfo Reyes is identified as Arturo's stepfather. Document 2 states: "Investigators learned through six other children in the home that Arturo's stepfather, Rodolfo Reyes, 33, was also home when the boy died." Document 4 states he was "indicted on a single charge of injury to a child by omission" and was in "care, custody and control of the child at the time of his death" (Document 3).
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Document 2 states: "Ector County Independent School District Spokesman Mike Adkins issued a press release on Tuesday that detailed although Arturo Francisco Coca's obituary stated he was a third grader at Burnet Elementary, he hasn't attended an ECISD school since the 2020-2021 school year." This confirms the child was taken out of school and was not enrolled or attending at the time of his death.
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Both caregivers were arrested and charged. Document 3 states: "Lange's bond is $2,000,000 for capital murder and an additional $1,000,000 for injury to a child. Reyes' bond is $2,000,000 for capital murder and an additional $1,000,000 for injury to a child." Document 4 confirms: "An Ector County jury found Megan Lange, 30, guilty of capital murder." Reyes was "later indicted on a single charge of injury to a child by omission" (Document 4).
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 4 states that Rodolfo Reyes "was deemed incompetent to stand trial at one point and went through a competency restoration program." While the specific basis for incompetency is not stated, competency to stand trial determinations inherently involve assessment of mental capacity, and the need for a competency restoration program implies a mental health issue.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details not fully addressed by prior questions: (1) The ECISD press release confirmed that Arturo's obituary falsely stated he was a third grader at Burnet Elementary, when in fact "he hasn't attended an ECISD school since the 2020-2021 school year" (Document 2), suggesting the family actively misrepresented his enrollment status to conceal his absence from school and contact with mandatory reporters. (2) There were six other children in the home at the time of his death (Documents 2, 3, 4). (3) Reyes' charges were reduced from capital murder to a single charge of injury to a child by omission, while Lange was convicted of capital murder with an automatic life-without-parole sentence (Document 4). (4) Reyes wrote a letter to the judge detailing extensive abuse perpetrated by Lange (Document 4).
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