Virginia Gonzales Starves Daughter, Reverses Plead Deal Refusal, Learns Fate

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Virginia Gonzales Starves Daughter, Reverses Plea Deal Refusal, Learns Fate
Date: February 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

Nancy Grace delves into the harrowing case of Virginia Gonzalez, a mother from Austin, Texas, convicted for the prolonged starvation and abuse of her 7-year-old daughter, and who stands accused of strikingly more. The episode details the shocking discovery of the emaciated child locked in a closet, the fate of Gonzalez in court, and the swirling mysteries around two other missing children. Featuring expert commentary and emotional reactions from a family friend, the episode confronts disturbing questions about ongoing child abuse, systemic failures, and the lasting damage inflicted on all involved.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Discovery: Starved Child Locked in a Closet

[02:35–06:54]

• The Child’s Condition: Police found a 7-year-old girl locked in a dark, barricaded closet (approx. 3x2 ft.), weighing only 29 pounds—less than half the healthy weight for her age. She received, at most, a single corn dog and half a cup of water per day, resulting in moderate to severe cerebral atrophy (permanent brain damage).
• Other Children: Six other children, ages 2 to 14, were found in the home, seemingly healthy. The situation was reported as “chaos.”
• Quote:

  “The little girl was soiled... She had TT’d and defecated. I said 26, it’s 29 pounds when she was rescued. She’s already suffered moderate to severe cerebral atrophy. That’s permanent brain damage due to prolonged nutrition. Quote, ‘she will never recover’ according to the state’s affidavit.” — Nancy Grace [04:43]

2. Medical Analysis: Damages of Starvation

[06:54–13:19]

• Medical Mechanics: Dr. Kendall Crowns (Chief Medical Examiner) explains how starvation leads to muscle wastage, organ failure, and ultimately brain damage.
  • “Her brain is basically maldeveloped, not getting enough oxygen, so you get brain damage.” — Dr. Crowns [10:46]
• Symptoms: The child would have suffered confusion, hallucinations, fatigue, and potentially slipped into a coma.
  • “She’d be confused, even possibly hallucinating and just completely fatigued and not even feeling like moving.” — Dr. Crowns [12:39]
• Dangers of Refeeding: Giving food too quickly after prolonged starvation can be fatal (“refeeding syndrome”).

3. Family Dynamics & Patterns of Abuse

[13:41–18:39]

• Siblings’ Trauma: Though physically healthy, the siblings also faced psychological abuse. Psychiatrist Dr. Angela Arnold explains the likelihood of Stockholm Syndrome and lifelong guilt for the participating siblings.
  • “They go into it with their mother literally to protect themselves… they may not be brain damaged, but they are also being damaged by this so-called mother.” — Dr. Arnold [15:18]
• Intent & Calculated Abuse: Abuse was intentional and methodically targeted at one child. Others were coerced into participating to maintain control.

4. Testimonies & Community Shock

[18:39–20:53, 26:14–35:46, 50:34–51:01]

• Leanne Marie’s Account: Family friend describes Virginia Gonzalez as appearing “normal,” social, and outgoing. She wasn’t aware of all the children and states Gonzalez would present herself as a responsible parent while frequently partying.
  • “She never lived like she even had eight or nine kids… very, very outgoing.” — Leanne Marie [18:55]
• Secret Children: The possibility of a ninth child arises—one not registered in Texas, prompting urgent concern.
  • “It’s a boy and he is around age 9 or 10 years old…” — Leanne Marie [26:22]
• Selling Infants: Leanne Marie claims Gonzalez “sold” her newborn for $25,000, alleging longstanding financial neglect and using children for material gain.
  • “All the money was going downtown 6th street... buying bottles after bottles and buying everybody buying the bar out.” — Leanne Marie [34:03]
• Manipulation & Deception: Gonzalez is described as manipulative, pitting family members against each other, hiding children, and presenting false facades.

5. Missing Children: Ava Marie and Others

[14:07, 40:53–45:56]

• Ava Marie’s Disappearance: A 9-year-old girl missing since December 2017; her whereabouts are unknown. Gonzalez provided contradictory stories to police, family, and ex-partners, ranging from Ava living in Mexico, with relatives, or handed over to another family.
  • “Austin police say they are handling little Ava’s disappearance as a homicide investigation, adding they ‘don’t have any evidence she is alive.’” — Nancy Grace [44:21]
• Other Missing or Unaccounted-For Children: Reports of sold infants and a missing 9-10-year-old boy highlight the complexity and tragedy.

6. Systemic Failures

[47:56–48:41]

• Questions for Authorities: How was Gonzalez able to receive government benefits for children who weren’t in school or at doctor’s appointments? Experts flag serious lapses in the social safety net.
  • “When you hear a story like this, multiple systems have failed. This mother was purposely not taking her children to school, I’m sure because the teachers would have seen something.” — Christina Ouayo [48:11]
• Mandatory Reporters Ignored: Despite laws requiring adults to report suspected child abuse, no action was taken until the 911 call.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the child’s ordeal:

  “How can a child survive day after day, week after week, month after month, locked in a dark closet, living off nothing?” — Nancy Grace [04:43]

• On targeted abuse:

  “Abuse is all about power and control. Really helps explain this dynamic. This person is not out of control. They're being very calculated and systematic in who they abuse and how.” — Christina Ouayo [18:23]

• On systemic breakdown:

  “Multiple systems have failed. This mother was purposely not taking her children to school, I’m sure because the teachers would have seen something.” — Christina Ouayo [48:11]

• On lifelong consequences for siblings:

  “They didn’t just watch their sister starve slowly to death, they were forced to keep her in the closet themselves. They’re going to go the rest of their lives thinking they starved their sister.” — Nancy Grace [16:38]

• Confronting community shock:

  “She put up this image. I would have never in my right state of mind thought that she was starving a kid or abusing the children like that.” — Leanne Marie [50:44]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:35] – Graphic details of the closet, child’s discovery, and condition
• [08:55] – Dr. Crowns explains the medical impact of starvation on a child
• [13:41] – Discussion on the siblings’ participation in abuse and familial trauma
• [18:50] – Leanne Marie’s background on Virginia Gonzalez and the family's lifestyle
• [26:22] – Revelation of a potential ninth child, not documented in Texas
• [33:02, 34:03] – Claims that Gonzalez sold her infant for cash; discussion of financial motives
• [40:53] – Details on missing Ava Marie Gonzalez and the shifting stories provided by Gonzalez
• [44:21] – Homicide investigation into Ava’s disappearance
• [47:06] – Challenges for law enforcement: tracking and finding the missing children
• [48:11] – Systemic failures in child safety nets and mandatory reporting

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Conclusion: Last Thoughts and Call to Action

Nancy Grace concludes with a direct plea:

“If you know or think you know anything regarding these missing children please dial 512-572-8477. We wait as justice unfolds. Goodbye friend.” [51:43]

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Tone:
Unflinching, emotional, and prosecutorial. Grace moves between outrage, heartbreak, and determination, consistently elevating the voices of experts, witnesses, and survivors to expose the depth and breadth of the tragedy.

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For listeners seeking more:
The case remains active. Law enforcement and child advocacy agencies are investigating the fate of the missing children. The episode exemplifies the need for vigilance, reporting, and compassion in the face of severe family and systemic dysfunction.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

Disease Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Now here's a woman nobody will forget. I don't know if you're going to remember her name, Virginia Gonzalez, but you'll remember this. The mom of multiple children, including a seven year old little girl found locked in a dark closet that was barricaded down to about 26 pounds. Fed one corn dog a day, if that. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us.

[Medical Expert]

On April 3, 2025, Austin Police Department responded to a 911 call for a 7 year old child that was found locked in a closet and starving. The seven year old was immediately taken to a local hospital for medical treatment

[Nancy Grace]

and is currently recovering.

[Medical Expert]

There were six other children found in the home that appeared physically healthy.

[Commercial Announcer]

Police officers at an Austin apartment find a severely malnourished seven year old girl who is barricaded in a bedroom closet. The child is found soiled, weighing just 29 pounds and has been confined to a 3 foot by 2 foot closet space for approximately a month. Investigators find the child has been given one corn dog and a half a cup of water a day. Doctors at Dell Children's Medical determine the little girl is suffering moderate to severe cerebral atrophy from prolonged malnutrition, damage from which she will never recover.

[Nancy Grace]

Virginia Gonzalez, facing charges including injury to a child inflicting serious injury, learns her fate in court.

[News Reporter]

The mother accused of locking her young daughter in a closet for weeks, initially refused a plea deal, but now one has been reached. The 33 year old Virginia Gonzalez pleaded guilty to two charges of felony child injury. She receives a 25 year sentence on each count, which she will serve at the Texas Department of Criminal justice facility in Huntsville. The counts will serve concurrently.

[Nancy Grace]

Let me jog your memory about what happened. This closet was less than 5ft by 2ft. 5 by 2, 5ft tall, 2ft wide. There were other objects in there. What other objects in there? No light, no ventilation. And it was barricaded by 75 pounds of boxes in front of it. Can you imagine the life that child had in a closet, her living space about 3 by 1 foot 10 inches, 3 by 2. Let's be generous. No light, no ventilation. Barricaded on the outside by 75 pound boxes in front of it. The little girl was soiled of course she had TT'd and defecated. I said 26 is £29. £29. When she was rescued, she's already suffered moderate to severe cerebral atrophy. That's permanent brain damage due to prolonged nutrition. Quote, she will never recover according to the state's affidavit. Now the other six children in the home from 2 to 14 told grandma they were ordered to lock her in there because she had, quote, bladder control issues and was quote always getting into stuff and quote, eating things she was not supposed to. What, like food? A 10 year old brother told police he was told he had to clean the closet because the little sister would have to defecate and urinate in the closet. The little girl gets just a corn dog a day and a half a cup of water. How can a child survive day after day, week after week, month after month, locked in a dark closet, living off nothing? Straight out to Christina Ouayo. Joining us, investigative reporter Christina, this child locked in a closet. What happened?

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

Well, according to the affidavit, when police got there, when the caller called in for the welfare check and police got there, they found a seven year old little girl locked in a closet. It was barricaded by 75 pounds of boxes. They opened that door, they found that child in there. She was soiled, surrounded by feces. She was severely malnourished. She had dark spots all over her body which is a sign of severe malnourishment. They took her of course to the hospital where she weighed 29 pounds. And medical personnel say that because of the prolonged starvation of that little girl that she will have permanent brain damage.

[Nancy Grace]

Permanent brain damage caused by starvation. Joining me, Virginia Bagby, Director of Child Help, National Child Abuse Hotline. Child Help Virginia, thank you for being with us. Many people don't know that starving a child can result in permanent brain damage. Have you ever seen anything like it before?

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

Virginia, we have definitely heard about cases like this and they happen all too often.

[Nancy Grace]

Dr. Kendall crowns chief medical examiner, Tarrant County. That's Fort Worth. Never a lack of business. He is the esteemed lecturer at the Burnet School of Medicine at tcu. I know that you heard this, but let me repeat it again. A seven year old little girl barricaded in a locked bedroom closet. Locked from the outside, soiled. A 7 year old weighing just 29 pounds, confined to a 3 by 2 foot closet. She is being given at most one corn dog and a half cup of water a day. She is now suffering permanent moderate to severe cerebral atrophy from Prolonged malnutrition. The doc states she will never recover. Could you interpret that please?

[Medical Expert]

Certainly. So she's not being given much food or water. I mean a corn dog and a cup of water is not much for a child or anybody for that matter. Her body is losing its, depleting its muscle, depleting its fat stores. So she, her muscles are wasting away, her bones are starting to not form properly and she's being starved. And part of being starved results in your cardiac muscle or your heart muscle mass starting to also fade away or go away, which reduces your heart's ability to pump your blood, which results in your kidneys failing and you go into kidney failure. You also start having gut issues as well. And this can all affect your brain and your brain's development, especially in a child. So all those factors combined will result in her having these issues that the doctors are describing.

[Nancy Grace]

Dr. Kendall crowns. A child of seven years old should weigh around 70 pounds, 40, 45 to 70 pounds, is that right?

[Medical Expert]

Yes, that would be about the average weight of a child at seven.

[Nancy Grace]

A seven year old average. Of course they grow at different weight. Average is 51 pounds for a 7 year old child, but it ranges from 43 to 70. So where would you place 29 pounds in that spectrum? 29 pounds? If a 7 year old can weigh up to 73, she's not even half the weight of a 7 year old.

[Medical Expert]

Yeah, the weight you're describing is a severely malnourished child. So she's been starved for a prolonged period of time.

[Nancy Grace]

How does that make a child brain damaged?

[Medical Expert]

It's from the body shutting down, the lack of food, the lack of loss of muscle mass, the heart muscle mass being lost, it not circulating properly, the organs aren't getting enough oxygenated blood and of course the brain's part of this. So the brain's not getting proper oxygenation. Also, the brain relies on glucose or sugars to grow and develop and it's not getting that as well. So the brain is basically mal developed, not getting enough oxygen, so you get brain damage.

[Nancy Grace]

Dr. Crowns, isn't it true that a child weighing 29 pounds typically, and I'm basing this on charts of statistics that I prepared, is typically a 22 month old child at 29 pounds.

[Medical Expert]

Yes, that would be correct.

[Nancy Grace]

A seven year old little girl, Dr. Kendall Crowns, that should weigh 71 pounds, 51 to 71 pounds, weighs 29 pounds. With a child starving, what would she be enduring on the floor of that locked closet? Dr. Crowns?

[Medical Expert]

She would be enduring confusion, dehydration or a very dry mouth. Her throat would be dry, she'd have trouble swallowing, she'd be very tired and just not able to even move. And then you would add on to that the fact that without the food she'd start hallucinating and then eventually just slip into a coma and finally die.

[Nancy Grace]

Dr. Kendall, crowns with the child, lose her hair. I know that she's losing all muscle tone. Would she be losing her hair? Would her faculties, her hearing, her sight, would that be intact? And what would her brain function be lying on the floor of a dark closet starving?

[Medical Expert]

So yes, hair often will fall out in individuals who are starved. Her brain function would be very minimal. She'd be confused, even possibly hallucinating and just completely fatigued and not even feeling like moving.

[Nancy Grace]

Is it true, Dr. Kendall Krause, that when someone has been starved for a prolonged period of time, as in this case when you give them food, they can't even eat it?

[Medical Expert]

Yes, you can have what is called if you give a person who's been starved, you feed them too quickly, you can have what is called refeeding syndrome, where they actually will from the food intake, it will cause so much of a shock to their body that they can die.

[Nancy Grace]

Guys. When police show up to a home, they find six children and then a seventh locked in a closet weighing just 29 pounds. But ironically, amazingly, listen to the condition of the other six children.

[Commercial Announcer]

Six other children in the apartment ranging in age from 2 to 14 years old are found to be in apparently good physical condition. The apartment's pantry, refrigerator and freezer are stocked with various food items. The oldest children were given strict orders to put the little girl in the closet because she had bladder control issues and she was trying to eat things she wasn't supposed to. During the investigation, police learned there's an eighth child, Ava Marie, who is not in the home with the other children.

[Nancy Grace]

We've got one starved child who has permanent brain damage, a 7 year old little girl weighing 29 pounds locked in a closet. Now I've got a missing child too. But to Dr. Angela Arnold, joining me, renowned psychiatrist out of the atlanta [e-mail] Dr. Angie, thank you for being with us. Did you hear what was just reported? That there were six other children in the home seemingly healthy. And they were encouraged to keep the little girl locked in a closet, starving her because the little girl would eat things she wasn't supposed to eat. You know what, Dr. Angie, I've heard every excuse in the book about why parents starve the children, oh, the child ate a candy bar, I'll starve it. The child eats too much, I'll starve it. The child misbehaved, I'll starve it. I mean, there are a million excuses I have heard as to why moms and dads starve the baby dead, but yet we see six other children seemingly healthy.

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

And this is oftentimes what we do see in cases like this, Nancy So the other children need to be taken care of as well as this goes on because they have been suffering something called Stockholm syndrome. They want to they are so scared of the abuse that they see being heaped on this other child that they go into it with their mother literally to protect themselves, okay? Because, Nancy, imagine how scared these other children are. They never know who's going to be next to be locked in that closet. So they're going to listen to their mama, they're going to do what she says. And I think that they could probably also psychologically sort of break off from, from feeling towards the child that is being locked in the closet so that they can protect themselves. Because this is chaos that this family is living in. It is complete and utter chaos. And all of those other children are suffering. They may not be brain dead, brain damaged, excuse me, they are not being, you know, they're not being starved, but they are also being damaged by this so called mother of theirs.

[Nancy Grace]

You said the other siblings are going to have to be in treatment. You're right, because they didn't just watch their sister starve slowly to death, they were forced to keep her in the closet themselves. They're going to go the rest of their lives thinking they starved their sister and now she's got permanent brain damage.

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

Angie that's exactly correct, Nancy. These children have been abused in a different way and it's all for a matter of control. It's to keep all of those children in control, Nancy, because, you know, you can only imagine there's one mother, all of these children, if somebody got old enough to decide, you know, we really shouldn't be treating this person this way, they could possibly escape or something like this, right? But that mother is making sure that they are so terrified, they are so terrified in the home that they live

[News Reporter]

in

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

and she feeds them so that they have this odd relationship with the mother where they still need her, but they're scared of her, so that none of them will go against her.

[Nancy Grace]

To Bronwyn Blake joining us, adjunct Professor, University, Texas School of Law Chief Legal Officer, Texas Advocacy Project. Bronwyn, thank you for Being with us, I've seen it many, many times. For one child out of the whole group is singled out and they're the ones that starved. That child is the one that's abused. I don't understand the phenomena, but I accept it because I've seen it over and over. Even cases that I prosecuted, other children would go unscathed while the one child would end up dead.

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

The idea that abuse, abuse is all about power and control really helps explain this dynamic. This person is not out of control. They're being very calculated and systematic in who they abuse and how. So all of those children experienced abuse just in different ways.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining me is a special guest. This is Leanne Marie, friend of the children's mother, Virginia Gonzalez. Leanne, thank you for being with us.

[Podcast Host]

Yes, ma'.

[Nancy Grace]

Am. Leanne Marie, tell me about Virginia Gonzalez.

[Leanne Marie]

So from what I know, she was just a normal person. I mean, honestly, she never really had her kids with her, like, you know, presence. The only one that I've seen with her in the past year was the oldest one, the 14 year old. Besides that, we never knew that she had, you know, the, the little girl. We only knew of boys. So she was just a typical person, partying out in the clubs, in the bars. I mean, she, she was just, she never lived. Like, she even had nine, eight, nine kids. Very, very outgoing.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, you're scaring me now, Liam. Marie, you just said something that scared me. Okay, hold on. So I know that there are six children in the home. Healthy, ish. One starved in a closet and one missing. That's eight. But you mentioned nine. The possibility of a ninth child.

[Leanne Marie]

Yes, ma'.

[News Reporter]

Am.

[Nancy Grace]

Is there a ninth child?

[Leanne Marie]

Yes. So right now they're saying that this ninth child, he is not, he does not have a social, Social Security here in Texas. So he's not registered here in Texas.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, Daryl Parker, I need you and I need you now. There's another missing child. Did you hear that? Darryl Parker, former Lieutenant, Fannin County Sheriff's Office, former Marine, former Texas police officer. Help me. So we're learning right now that there's a ninth child that's in the wind. Nobody knows how old the child is, where it is. It doesn't have a Texas Social Security number.

[Medical Expert]

Yeah, Nancy, that's, that's pretty concerning. I know that the mom has already made several statements to police that are inconsistent about the child that is missing already that they already know about. And it'll be interesting to see if some follow up questioning can reveal anything about this ninth child.

[Nancy Grace]

Possible ninth child Virginia Bagby joining us from Child Help national abuse Hotline. Going into this right now, I knew that there were eight children, six in the home, one starved near death with brain damage and one missing since 2017. Now I'm hearing about child number nine. Is that child dead? I mean, what do you do when you get a call like this, the Child help hotline?

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

Well, this is a really difficult one. I would encourage somebody to reach out to the local hospitals potentially where all the other children have been born to see if they have any record. This is very concerning to have two children missing. Now these other children have probably are aware that they have siblings that are missing, missing. Add that to the terror they've been experiencing.

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[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

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[Nancy Grace]

In the last days, a stunning guilty plea. Virginia Gonzalez stands next to lawyer in court and says guilty. The mom of multiple children, including a seven year old little girl found locked in a dark closet that was barricaded down to about 26 pounds. Fed one corn dog a day, if that. A 10 year old brother told police he was told he had to clean the closet because the little sister would have to defecate and urinate in the closet. Now in court, Virginia Gonzalez states, I instructed them not to let her out of the bedroom, but not the closet. So she would basically blame the other children. Quote, we catch her in the restroom doing something bad.

[Commercial Announcer]

What?

[Nancy Grace]

What would she be doing in the bathroom at seven years old? It was easier for my sons to watch her that way. Well, what were you doing? Why would you leave a 10 year old boy in charge of 6 other children? Text messages uncover Gonzalez texting one of her children, quote, clean the closet then throw her back in. In the affidavit we obtain, the detective describes the child as the fat in her cheeks was non existence. Her body had used those stores to sustain itself. What more do we know?

[Commercial Announcer]

A shocking discovery inside a home leads police to investigate a long buried secret.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, Leah Marie is joining us, a friend of the mom, Virginia Gonzalez. Ms. Marie, thank you. Because what you've just said could save a child's life.

[Leanne Marie]

Yes, ma'.

[Podcast Host]

Am.

[Nancy Grace]

However, do you know Leanne is the ninth child older? Younger girl? Boy.

[Leanne Marie]

It's a boy and he is around age 9 to 10 years old. So she has a 14, an 11, a 10, a 9, a 7. I know she has two 3 year olds the newborn. So there's nine from what I'm hearing right now.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, hold on, let me add this up. There's a 14 year old an 11 year old year old, a 10 year old, a 9 year old is the boy that you think is missing. A seven year old is a little girl starved in the closet. Two three year olds. Okay, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I'm missing somebody. 14, 11, 10, 9. Missing Ava, 3 and 3 and a newborn. What now?

[Leanne Marie]

So Ava's around eight, nine years old and then the little boy's right after her. 11 months difference.

[Nancy Grace]

You stated that Virginia Gonzalez, the mother, the starving little girl and the other missing girl was, quote, normal, would go partying at the clubs and the bars. Hey, I don't have a problem with that. Party down, Mommy. But what would she ever mention who was taking care of the children while she's at the bar?

[Leanne Marie]

So from we understand was that the kids, all the kids were left with the grandmother of. She has three kids that belong to one father and they were, that was who she was with the past seven years. And so they were supposedly all living with the grandmother.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, Dr. Angie Arnold, I need a shrink because why is she out on a boat partying while her child is starving in a closet and two children are missing?

[News Reporter]

Right?

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

And Nancy, how can she, how can she just be so unattached from all of these children that she's having? So my question is, why is she having all of these children? And I'm sorry, is it to support her lifestyle? And where are the fathers of these children? We always have to ask where? We're always, you know, why isn't the mother taking care of them? Okay, yes, she is a horrible person that has done horrible things to at least two of her children that we know about. Where are the fathers of these children and why are any of them involved? But Nancy, I don't believe she should be out partying on a boat. I think that when you have children, you should be at home taking care of your children and not relying on someone else to take care of them. Because again, we don't know how children take that. But oftentimes when mothers are not around, children do sense a fear of abandonment when their mother is not taking care of them.

[Nancy Grace]

But to Bronwyn Blake joining us, adjunct professor, University of Texas School of Law. Bronwyn, I'm not the church lady. If mom wants to party, go ahead. If mom wants to vape and smoke, have at it. The issue is intent. When she is out partying in her club and bar finery, her child is at home starving and two of them are missing. Now that goes to intent. When I'm trying to prove Felony child neglect to a jury. That's when that type of video. Let's see the video again. Comes in to play. I couldn't care less what mommy wears or what bar she goes to. Don't care. But if your child is at home starving in a closet, suddenly your behavior, your actions during that time are relevant.

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

Absolutely. I can tell you're thinking like a prosecutor. The contrast between the images you're showing of these, this child and then her mother partying, it tells the whole story there. And unfortunately, many abusers present one face to some people, can be very charming to some people. And then we hear about these horrible things happening at home.

[Nancy Grace]

Dr. Kimmel Crowns is joining me. Chief medical examiner, Tarrant County. That's Fort Worth. Dr. Kimmel crowns. I've got one child starved almost beyond recognition. Her bones sticking out, you know, like they're visible through the skin. I've got that child starved, almost dead. Permanent brain injury. I've got a missing little girl. And now I'm learning from Leanne Marie. There's another boy missing that is about 1, 2, 3, 4th in the progression line of children. Leanne Marie, joining us, a friend of mom, Virginia Gonzalez. Did you know that Ava was missing?

[Leanne Marie]

No. We had no idea. Back in 2018, when I originally first met Virginia, we only knew of three little boys. So after talking to mutual friends and all, concluding that she had Ava's hair shaved like a boy. She never had Ava in. In her possession. I mean, she never let us know

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

that it was a girl.

[Leanne Marie]

She had her presented as a boy to all of us. So we're all in shock. We didn't. Nobody knew that she had Ava.

[Nancy Grace]

Leanne, I don't understand this. So she showed you Ava, but this is the missing child, not the starving child, right? You saw Ava, and she had her dressed like a boy with her head shaved.

[Leanne Marie]

She had her hair. She had him hatched. He had a fade. He had a fade. I definitely confirmed this with her landlord and roommates that she lived with back in 2018. Everybody concluded that and confirmed that it was a little boy. It was not a. Nobody knew she had a little girl.

[Nancy Grace]

Leann, knowing the mother, why do you think she shaved the little girl's head and passed her off as a boy?

[Leanne Marie]

I feel like that she had a anger issue with the little girls because of the way her mother treated her back when she was little. And I think that she was taking it out on these little girls because from all the evidence and information that I've collected, it's all based on the girls. So you know she sold the baby who was a little girl that was just born in March. She starved. Riri.

[Nancy Grace]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. My head is, is spinning. What did you just say she sold a baby?

[Leanne Marie]

Yes. And CPS just found that baby. When?

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, that's the newborn baby that was

[Leanne Marie]

just born in March.

[Nancy Grace]

So that baby's been sold? Yes, but see how much did she get from the baby?

[Leanne Marie]

From What I heard, 25K.

[Nancy Grace]

Christina Oayo, tell me about the newborn baby girl that just got sold.

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

Well, apparently from my investigations online and none of this has been confirmed yet, but she did have this newborn baby. And according to all person who says that they are a close relative of the family, she did have a newborn baby. It was sold to a couple. So if that is in fact the case, there could be a possibility that Eva Marie Gonzalez was also sold. And that's something that will have to be looked into because it would be myopic of us to think that that possibility isn't out there.

[Nancy Grace]

You know what Christina Arrayo, I can only hope and pray that she was sold and that she's alive and being treated better than the little seven year old to Leanne Marie, a friend of mom Virginia Gonzalez. Why did she sell her baby?

[Leanne Marie]

I'm guessing financial issues. But at the same time, you know, all the money was going downtown 6th street and at the strip clubs. I mean she was just making it rain with money and buying bottles after bottles and buying everybody buying the bar out. I mean that's where I seen the money going. I don' I didn't see anything else that she had that. I mean she didn't even have a vehicle, you know what I mean? So I mean I think all the money was just going to partying. I don't think it was ever to just take care of her and the rest of the kids, you know what I mean?

[Nancy Grace]

I noticed in the party video she's got a Gucci bag strapped around her front. Was that a fake? Was that a fruit? A fake Gucci?

[Leanne Marie]

From my understanding, everything that the police found in her, her room was everything was name brand. I don't think it was fake, but I do now know that video was taped back in May a year ago. She would just cover up her, her stomach. I mean she would. I honestly, now that I'm thinking, I'm thinking she was trying to hide the pregnancy.

[Nancy Grace]

Why?

[Leanne Marie]

Because she was out there partying. I mean on the boat party that which was In September of 2024, my birthday. You, you can see in the video she was kind of closing. She. She didn't take the whole shot. I got other, you know, videos of footage of her putting the shots on the side when people weren't watching. So I think she knew she was pregnant, but she just didn't want the other. The world to know that she was pregnant. So she would literally buy bottles, get everybody drunk, and guess what? Then nobody notices anything.

[Nancy Grace]

Leanne, question. Did she discuss openly that she was selling the baby?

[Leanne Marie]

No. No, ma'.

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

Am.

[Leanne Marie]

I found that out through one of the children's families, the ones that I've been speaking with since the very beginning of the case, when it first started getting investigated.

[Nancy Grace]

Do you know who she sold the baby to?

[Leanne Marie]

I do not know them personally. I just know that it was a couple.

[Nancy Grace]

Leann, why did she keep having children if she hated them so much?

[Leanne Marie]

I don't think that she was having the children to, you know, just be this mother and to take care of him. I think she was living off the benefits, the, The SNAP and the, The EBT and the, the fathers. I think that was how she would hold some of these men, you know, in her life, because a lot of them didn't deal with the children. They only dealt with her. And a lot of them didn't want the children, they just wanted her. So I think that it was like the kids were like a tool for the men. She was a. You know how they say there's womenizers. I think she was a man like, like that with the men, like where she idolized men.

[Nancy Grace]

Before her children, did anyone ever wonder who would be taking care of the children while she's out partying?

[Leanne Marie]

So from my friendship experience with her, she would come and go. So one minute she was out here popping bottles for about two, three months, and then she'll go ghost for six months a year, and then she'll pop out, out of nowhere again. So it wasn't really. She was real discreet with the children, like I said. I only went to her. That apartment where they found the child that was starving and the other six children. I only went to that apartment one time, which was to go pick her up, and she. It was clean. It was. The 14 year old was the only one there. I, I didn't, I didn't ask because every time I asked about the children, it was that they were with her, the grandmother, because her baby daddy was, you know, crazy after her, so she just left the children over him so he would be calm is what she would tell us.

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[Nancy Grace]

bonus gift when you subscribe at prolonlife.com iheart that's prolonlife.com iheart Crime stories with Nancy Gr. New details emerging in a case out of Austin, Texas. Authorities first learn a seven year old girl is locked in a closet who knows how long. She weighs 26 pounds. When they go to inspect that they find out her sister has been missing for years. But it was only after that arrest, police learned she never reported the disappearance of the other child, a 9 year old little girl missing since December 2017. Listen.

[Medical Expert]

During the investigation, police discovered that there was an eighth child who was not found inside the home. The missing nine year old child was identified as Ava Marie Gonzalez.

[Nancy Grace]

Missing persons detectives determined that Ava was

[Medical Expert]

last seen in December 2017 when she was two years old and in the custody of her mother, Virginia Marie Gonzalez.

[Commercial Announcer]

Learning there should be eight children in the apartment, not just the seven they found, police opened an investigation and quickly determined Eva Marie has not been seen by family or friends since she was two years old in 2017 in custody of her mother, Virginia Gonzalez. Considering the condition of Ava's 7 year old sister when she was found, Austin police detectives are very concerned about Ava's welfare.

[Nancy Grace]

So you've got six children seemingly healthy, you've got one child starved, locked in a closet, and now you've got a missing child.

[News Reporter]

Austin Police Department still looking for another of Gonzalez's daughters, Ava, who hasn't been seen since December 2017. She was then around 2 years old. Gonzalez's son, the firstborn of her eight children, told investigators that Ava was given away to a family when she was about 3. November 2023, Child Protective Services records state Ava Gonzalez moved in with her father. The document allegedly signed by the grandmother of one of the Gonzalez children. When questioned about the document, the grandmother said the phone number on the CPS report was not hers, nor was it her signature. The Austin Police Department was able to track down Virginia Gonzalez's previous boyfriend and father of one of her children. He says Gonzalez claimed Ava was her sister's child and she was caring for her. She also said Ava was living in San Antonio with an aunt and uncle. The ex boyfriend said Gonzalez referred to Ava as a crack baby, meaning a premature baby who was sickly, having health problems and looked malnourished. Hospital records confirmed Ava was born to Virginia at 39 and a half weeks weighing six pounds with no complications. After Gonzalez's arrest, she told police Ava was living in Mexico with her father. When contacted, Ava's father in Mexico declined ever having custody of the girl. He said he hadn't seen Ava since she was about 1. And he was told by Gonzalez that Eva was living with another family in San Antonio.

[Nancy Grace]

Gonzalez says a man named Saul Jimenez took little Ava from her and the man was the girl's father. But she now claims he was deported back to Mexico before Jimenez sister took little Eva with her to Mexico as well. I only hope and pray that's true. Although Austin police say they are handling little Ava's disappearance, quote as a homicide investigation, adding they quote, don't have any evidence she is alive. Gonzalez in court reports she did not kill her daughter. What more do we know?

[News Reporter]

Gonzalez's now 14 year old son was around 6 when Ava went missing. He told investigators that he remembered something bad happening in an Austin motel bathroom. He says he heard Ava screaming really bad and peeked into the bathroom. He says his mother was violently assaulting Ava in a bathtub full of running water. He says later he heard the water turn off about the same time Ava stopped screaming. He told investigators his mother then dressed Ava and put her in a car seat. The little girl looked like she was sleeping. Then Gonzalez told him Ava was going to live with a new family, a new mom and dad. He never saw her again. Detectives believe Ava may have died at her mother's hand on or around January 2, 2018.

[Nancy Grace]

Leah Marie is joining us, a friend of the mom, Virginia Gonzalez. So you think that she's having the children in order to get state benefits?

[Leanne Marie]

I don't think it's just state benefits. I think like I said, it's to more of a tool for the men that she was in love with. I mean, I mean some of them, some of the, from what I'm understanding too is some of the kids. I mean she don't even know who the fathers is to some of the kids. I mean she was known for being in the club, you know, with multiple men. So I mean, I don't think that she used the children just for the benefits. I think it was just more of tools to keep the men in her life, to help benefit her with the money and the pain for this and paying for that and, and that's what I think.

[Nancy Grace]

To Daryl Parker, Joining me, former Lieutenant Fannin County Sheriff's Office@Blackfish intel.com Darrell, how do we go about finding the two missing children? You've got the little girl missing. We've got an age progress photo of her. You've got her missing, you've got a nine year old boy missing. I believe the little newborn girl that was sold has been recovered. But how do you go about finding the two missing children?

[Medical Expert]

Well, you know, Nancy, I see a lot of parallels between this case and the Casey Anthony case. And if you recall, the thing that really bogged down that investigation was Casey Anthony's multiple stories where she gave the police all these different versions of what happened to her child. And so in this case, I think the mom has given them some inconsistent stories. They're going to have to track these down. And this is over a period of time, too. Seven years is a lot longer period of time than when Casey Anthony's child was missing. So it's going to be a lot more difficult for law enforcement to piece that together. But she couldn't have done all this without other adults being aware of what was going on, at least collaterally. So I think there are going to be some other collateral witnesses that can help, help provide some information to try and find the kids.

[Nancy Grace]

Bronwyn Blake, I don't understand how the mother can be getting government benefits but they're not in school because the government does know they exist and they're of school age. How does that work?

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

This is not supposed to happen. When you hear a story like this, multiple systems have failed. This mother was purposely not taking her children to school, I'm sure because the teachers would have seen something. She's not taking them to their doctor's appointments because the doctors would have seen something. Here in Texas, every single adult is a mandatory reporter of child abuse, not just those professionals I mentioned, neighbors, family members. If anyone saw something, it's the law that they had to report it.

[Nancy Grace]

Christina Ouayo, what more do you know?

[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

Well, the woman who is online identifying as a very close family member, she revealed that the newborn baby was sold. She also is revealing some of the details about what Virginia was telling each one of the family members. It kind of lines up with what Virginia Gonzalez's friend was telling us about the story she was saying she pitted the two families against each other. She allegedly told one family that the kids were in the care of the other family. Her side of the family told her mom the same thing, vice versa. This woman also claims that the father of three of Virginia Gonzalez's children actually took care of six of the children for two years until he went to jail, allegedly back in December. And that's when she's saying that Virginia Gonzalez went and picked up all the kids. She had kept the 14 with her 14 year old with her originally and then went back and picked up all the kids. So that was in December. Which means that if she picked up the little seven year old girl who they are calling RIRI in December, then that means that little girl was suffering most likely six months of abuse before that 911 call came in and they discovered her in the closet. So apparently this woman is describing Virginia Gonzalez as very manipulative. And it's crazy because they also say that she didn't allow any of the children to go to school. And there are no records of any of the children being in school. And as for Eva Marie Gonzalez, there's no medical records, there's no legal record. So this is a really convoluted case. And if it's true what they're saying about the baby being sold to a couple, that the possibility of Ava Marie Gonzalez being sold to a couple is there as well, but it might have been sold, the baby might have been sold to a more nefarious various outfit, which means we could be looking at something concerning child trafficking, which we hope that's not the case. But either way, there's a lot of avenues that investigators need to go down and there are a lot of leads that they need to investigate.

[Nancy Grace]

Leanne Marie, now that you realize the extent of what Virginia Gonzalez was doing to her children, are you surprised?

[Leanne Marie]

Very. I'm very shocked. I'm very. Disbelief. I just, I just, I can't believe it. I mean, she put up this image. I would have never in my right state of mind thought that she was starving a kid or abusing the children like that.

[Nancy Grace]

I would have said something to Dr. Angela Arnold. How can you present one facade to the public and live such a dark private life?

[Leanne Marie]

You know what

[Dr. Angela Arnold]

that comes from? Years and years of abuse. Because people who have been abused learn how to compartmentalize different things in their life. So this woman, because of the purported abuse that she experienced as a child, has learned how to contain the different parts of her life and separate them. It all stems from her abuse.

[Nancy Grace]

If you know or think you know anything regarding these missing children please dial 512-572-8477. Repeat 512-572-8477. We wait as justice unfolds. Goodbye friend.

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[Investigative Reporter Christina Ouayo]

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[Dr. Angela Arnold]

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[Leanne Marie]

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[Leanne Marie]

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