Two adoptive parents charged with killing their five-year-old son set up a fundraiser to help them afford lawyers.

Prison officer Jacob Maloberti, 33, and his wife Lauren, 34, are accused of beating Landon, 5, to death.

Police charged the couple, from Greensburg in Pennsylvania, after they brought the schoolboy to hospital on January 30, claiming he had been ‘wobbly from Covid’ – but he had three bleeds on the brain.

Just two days later Lauren set up a GoFundMe page asking for money to help them with legal fees.

She wrote: ‘Tragedy struck our family when our precious baby boy went unresponsive. I rushed him to the ER and they intubated him and he’s been unresponsive ever since. The outcome is not looking good.

‘As we were in the hospital CPS took away our parental rights pending the investigation.

‘I’m devastated. We are devastated. We both need good attorneys. My kids are my world. Any little bit helps us as we navigate life right now with our new uncertainty.

‘Help us fight I can’t live without our kids. I’m already losing my boy.’

She later posted an update, which said the parents had to prepare for the ‘most unimaginable outcome’ and her heart was ‘breaking in a million pieces’.

Landon died on February 7 from blunt force trauma to his head and neck.

The mum later asked for more money to cover funeral costs, and the page had raised $5,350 before it was taken down.

Nicole W Ziccarelli, Westmoreland district attorney, told a press conference that Landon had lived a ‘very tough’ life.

She said: ‘Landon had blunt force trauma to his head and neck, blunt force trauma to his torso, and blunt force trauma to his extremities.

‘His injuries caused substantial pain at the time they were inflicted, with impairment of function including the inability to stand, inability to eat or drink, and loss of consciousness.

‘Tragically, Landon suffered abuse and trauma over the span of his short life. We intend to prosecute this case with the dignity and honour Landon deserves.

‘Landon also had prolonged and intensive medical interventions prior to his death and multiple bruises in different stages of healing.’

The other five children of the couple were interviewed by police, and said Landon was spanked because ‘he does not learn his lesson’.

They said Lauren got ‘more angry’ with Landon and would send the children upstairs when she punished him, and they would hear him cry.

Landon’s biological grandma, Kathie Sheffler, told police she was banned from visiting her grandson from April last year.

Delmont police chief, T.J. Klobucar, said in a statement he had ‘never faced an incident like this’.

Jacob, who works at Fayette State Correctional Centre, has been charged with one count of criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children, criminal conspiracy, and two counts of aggravated assault of a child.

Lauren faces the same charges, as well as an additional count of first-degree murder.

The couple are due in court again on August 8.

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