Fayette County, PA – Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty against Kourtney Eutsey, 31, and Sarah Shipley, 35, who are accused of killing 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey and discarding her body in a tote bag along a river. The two have been charged with first-degree murder, and the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office has filed notices of aggravated circumstances.
Renesmay was reported missing on a Saturday. Her body was discovered on September 4 in a bag on the Youghiogheny River’s shore bank. Eutsey is identified as both a blood relative and the legal guardian of the victim while also caring for her own children at the time.
Shipley served alongside Eutsey as a legal guardian for Renesmay. An affidavit indicates that as officers prepared to search Eutsey’s home, a young child approached them and expressed regret over not being truthful about the incident. The child stated, “I’m never going to see my baby sister again because she’s in heaven” and alleged that Eutsey killed Renesmay before placing her body in a tote bag.
The affidavit also details the child’s claims of overhearing conversations between Eutsey and Shipley regarding disposing of Renesmay. The sibling alleged witnessing abuse, stating that both women were “yelling at the victim and kicked her in her stomach.”
Renesmay weighed 45 pounds when found, exhibiting signs of abuse and neglect, including cigarette burns. Reports indicate that other children in the household were similarly abused.
Medical assessments revealed that two of the children had missing teeth due to being pulled forcibly. One child, an 11-year-old girl, could not read, and a 6-year-old boy was found malnourished and dehydrated during examinations.
In the wake of the arrests, the children from the home have since been placed with another family member. Renesmay’s biological mother voiced dismay, asking why her daughter was treated in such a manner.
