South Carolina child dies weighing just 21 pounds after being 'forced to drink water out of the toilet'

Destiny Shay Dionne, the child's mother, and her husband, Joshua Emanuel Lamar Latimer, are currently facing charges of homicide by child abuse.

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Harrowing details have emerged about the abuse of a 4-year-old boy by his own mother, which ultimately led to his tragic death.

The graphic details were revealed by investigators, detailing how the boy's mother and her husband, who was a police officer, ended up killing the little boy by starving him.

According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Joshua Emanuel Lamar Latimer, 30, and Destiny Shay Dionne, 24, are facing charges of homicide by child abuse and unlawful conduct toward a child in the death of Isaiah Dionne.

Officials attended the home on Forest Acres Circle in Walhalla in September, where they allegedly found the boy dead inside the home. Police said he appeared to be severely underweight and malnourished, weighing just 21 pounds.

The arrest warrant upsettingly states that Isaiah's ribs were "very visible" and that his eyes were "sunken into his head”. The mother's husband, Latimer, was a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, but he was let go after his arrest.

Tenth Circuit Solicitor Micah Black revealed what some first responders say they witnessed.

"He was basically skin and bones, for a lack of a better word. One of the EMS personnel basically described it as … similar to something you'd see on TV, to starving children in Africa," she said.

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Police say Isaiah was also forced to sleep on a blanket instead of a bed, while the curtains to his room were stapled shut. Investigators allege that the mother and her husband locked the 4-year-old in the closet while forcing him to drink water from the toilet.

According to WHNS, Isaiah lived with his maternal grandmother until he was two, but later moved in with his mother and Latimer when the couple started dating. From there, the boy was allegedly treated differently from his younger sibling, and police say he didn't see a doctor for two years.

When neighbors took food to the family, they would allegedly see Isaiah eat adult-sized meals, which they found strange, according to police.

The judge denied bond, while the mother was ordered to remain in jail. Both suspects face between 20 years and life behind bars if convicted.

An obituary for Isaiah said, "As Isaiah grew, so did his personality. Knowing him was such an amazing experience; he was always happy. Isaiah's smile could light up a room, and his laugh would warm your heart.”