How Could You? Hall of Shame-Gwen and Byron Buthman

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

This is a 2017 case that was prosecuted in 2023.

From Kuna, Idaho, adoptive parents, Gwen and Byron Buthman, “were sentenced for the neglect and abuse of their adopted daughter.

The Honorable Senior Judge Darla Williamson sentenced the Buthmans’ to a withheld judgment with four years of probation. Each defendant was given credit for one day of jail previously served, with no additional jail time. They were also ordered to complete three hundred hours of community service. The state requested a 20-year prison sentence with five years fixed, due to the seriousness of the offenses. A no contact order with the victim was issued for 30 years.

The Buthmans’ were indicted in March 2019, and convicted by a jury in June 2022 for felony injury to a child with an enhancement for producing great bodily harm, and a misdemeanor count of injury to a child.

The Buthmans’ punished and mistreated the victim from ages three to six. The defendants gave her cold baths, only let her consume a vegetable powder substance as her source of food, isolated her from her siblings, and made her sleep in a laundry room without bedding. During trial, the victim testified that on one occasion she was so hungry that she ate toilet paper after being locked in a bathroom by the defendants. Due to the victim’s extreme malnourishment, and an event where the victim was forced to stand outside in the winter cold with only a diaper on, the victim went into cardiac arrest in October of 2017, at the age of five. Fortunately, the child survived, though the abuse continued even after the cardiac arrest event.

“We appreciate those who intervened on the child’s behalf, as they prevented a possible child homicide,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. “I appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in this case, including my trial team, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Luke’s CARES.””

Judge grants withheld judgment, no jail for Kuna couple convicted of felony child abuse
[Ada County prosecutor 3/28/23]

No jail time!

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