Suspects accused of murdering James Hutchinson, 6, pleaded not guilty to all charges

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (FOX19) - A Butler County judge has doubled the bond set for a mother accused of murdering her 6-year-old son.

Brittany Gosney’s bond was set at $2 million during a hearing Monday while her boyfriend’s bond was increased to $750,000.

Gosney, 29, and James Hamilton, 42, pleaded not guilty as they were arraigned.

Gosney was indicted March 5 after Middletown police say she admitted to investigators that she killed her 6-year-old son James Hutchinson and dumped his body in the Ohio River.

She is facing charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children (five counts), gross abuse of a corpse (three counts), kidnapping (three counts), and abduction (three counts).

Hamilton was also indicted on March 5 by a Butler County grand jury for kidnapping (three counts), abduction (three counts), endangering children (three counts), tampering with evidence (three counts), and gross abuse of a corpse (three counts).

A report from the Preble County Sheriff’s Office says Gosney took James and her two other children to the Rush Run Wildlife Area around 3 a.m. on Feb. 27.

She reportedly told investigators that she was planning on leaving her children behind.

The children were outside Gosney’s minivan when James tried getting back inside by grabbing the door handle, police say.

According to the sheriff’s report, Gosney “slammed the gas.” James was dragged for a distance and was run over, investigators said.

Middletown detectives say she told them James was dead when she turned the minivan around to check on him about 30 to 40 minutes later.

The report says Gosney put James’ body and the two kids into the van and then went back to the home where she and her boyfriend lived on Crawford Street in Middletown.

Police say Gosney and Hamilton took Hutchinson’s body and dumped him into the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Gosney claimed Hamilton pressured her to get rid of the three kids, investigators said.

According to FOX19 NOW’s legal expert Mike Allen, a preliminary hearing was no longer needed to get these cases in front of a grand jury.

“A preliminary hearing has one purpose and one purpose only and that’s to determine probable cause,” Allen said.

The next court date for Gosney and Hamilton is March 22 for pretrial and their anticipated trial date is May 24.

The judge has not decided yet if Gosney and Hamilton will be tried together.

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