A malnourished 14-year-old Cheyenne boy was forced by his mother and her live-in boyfriend to drink gallons of water daily while being banished to a basement where he slept on the floor and forced to wash his urine-stained clothing in a bathtub, according to court records.

Stephanie Linke, 36, and Michael Gruchacz, 35, each face two counts of aggravated child abuse in the case pending in First Judicial District Court. Prosecutors say the mistreatment lasted four months.

The alleged abuse came to light on the evening of Oct. 16, when the couple took the boy to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Cheyenne police.

Linke told hospital staff her son had been starving himself and refused to drink, according to the affidavit. She told medical pers

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