Illinois child welfare officials say they received a hotline call about a 6-year-old Jerseyville boy's home nearly two years before he starved to death.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Illinois Department of Children and Family Services launched an investigation after a January 2016 hotline caller "alleged inadequate food in the home."
Agency spokeswoman Alissandra Calderon says a pediatric specialist found the child's low weight was a result of a medical condition and "the investigation was closed as unfounded."
The boy's father and stepmother, Michael and Georgena Roberts, were charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment after the boy died last week weighing 17 pounds.
Jersey County State's Attorney Benjamin Goetten said authorities don't believe the boy was malnourished due to a medical condition. He didn't elaborate.
