An eight-year-old Minnesota girl was starved, beaten, and suffocated by her father and stepmother, who filmed the torture and forced her to eat rotten food while tied up in a sleeping bag, according to court documents released Thursday. Autumn Lee Hallow, described by her mother as a kind, energetic child who loved gymnastics and giving hugs, weighed just 33 pounds when she died on August 13, 2020—the same weight she was at age four. Her emaciated body was found in a bathtub, covered in bruises, missing patches of hair, and showing signs of internal bleeding from a perforated bowel.
The case, which has drawn national outrage, reveals a years-long pattern of 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 that police, child protective services, and school officials failed to stop despite dozens of reports. Autumn’s father, Brett Jason Hallow, 30, and stepmother, Sarah K. Nasby, 29, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to second-degree homicide and first-degree manslaughter with aggravating circumstances.
They were sentenced on September 23, 2021, to 40 years in prison, with 27 years to serve and 13 years of supervised release. Sarah also received an additional 12 months for threatening violence against Autumn’s brother, Noah.
The 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 began long before Autumn’s death. Investigators recovered surveillance footage the couple had set up inside their apartment at the Depot at Elk River Station, capturing horrific acts against both Autumn and her older brother, Noah. In June 2019, Sarah slapped Noah for resisting while she cleaned his ear for 15 minutes.
Brett then kicked his son in the rib cage, put his hands around his neck, and called him a “little sh.” Days later, the couple forced Noah to eat rotten, moldy food he had hidden in the bathroom—a punishment that lasted six hours. Sarah admitted she punched Noah with a closed fist and pushed a washcloth into his mouth to muffle his screams.
Brett testified he told Noah he would cut off his hands if he hurt Sarah again.
In July 2019, Sarah squirted liquid Dawn dish soap into Noah’s mouth while Brett held him down. Noah said half his mouth was full of soap. Brett admitted he helped force Noah to swallow dish soap on more than 20 separate occasions.
The couple also used a homemade straightjacket made from a gray sweatshirt to restrain Autumn, tying her to the wall with a belt. She was forced to stand in the living room and stare at specific spots on the wall; if she looked away, Brett would kick her to the ground. The stepmother’s 10-year-old daughter told police she heard Autumn screaming that day and then a loud bang, and saw blood in the bathroom.
Autumn’s final months were a living nightmare. She was confined to the bathroom for days at a time, starved, and denied water. Sarah admitted she was in charge of food and gave Autumn very little.
Brett testified that Autumn was “emaciated” because of neglect and 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮. On the day she died, August 13, 2020, Brett said he woke up around noon to hear Sarah yelling at Autumn to clean up vomit in the bathroom. Autumn said she would rather die than clean.
Brett grabbed her by the shoulder, picked her up by the neck, and whipped her around. Sarah then grabbed Autumn by the throat and pushed her against the wall for about 10 seconds. Autumn fell, and Brett kicked her in the rib cage.
Afterward, Brett went back to the couch and fell asleep. Sarah said she took pills for a shoulder injury and lost track of time. Later, Brett went into the bathroom and found Autumn unresponsive in the tub, with stuff coming out of her mouth.
Sarah called 911, but Autumn had been dead for some time. An autopsy found fatal injuries pointing to asphyxiation and blunt force trauma. She had puncture wounds on her head, bruises on her hips and hands, abdominal bleeding from the perforated bowel, and bleeding in her brain.
Her muscles had atrophied from long periods of being tied up.
The 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 was not hidden. Neighbors reported screaming and crying from apartment 214 at least 30 times between February 2019 and August 2020. Police responded but often left without speaking to the couple or noting any issues.
One neighbor recorded Autumn screaming and shared the audio with police, who did nothing. Kelsey Cruz, Autumn’s mother, made repeated calls to police and CPS, begging for help. She had been fighting for custody since 2019, when Noah came home with bruises and told a counselor he was scared to go back to his father’s house.
He described being forced to stay up all night cleaning, being hit, locked in a bedroom for hours, and forced to swallow liquid dish soap. He said Sarah would push on his head to make him bite his own tongue.
Despite these reports, CPS closed investigations quickly, often blaming Kelsey for coaching the children. In September 2019, a CPS worker interviewed Noah in front of Brett and Sarah, and the case was closed because Noah did not say the injuries came from his parents. Detective Eric Balabon of the Elk River Police Department closed the case with no charges, saying he was “unable to substantiate charges.”
The system focused on being fair to parents, not protecting children, according to a study by the nonprofit Safe Passage for Children, which found that 14 of 88 child deaths in Minnesota from 2014 to 2022 involved torture.
Kelsey Cruz filed a lawsuit against the Elk River Police Department, Sherburne County CPS, and the Elk River School District, alleging negligence and failure to intervene. As of July 2023, the suit against the school district has been dismissed, and other parts are in danger of being dismissed. But the case has sparked calls for reform.
“Over the last 20 years or so, child welfare has really tried to emphasize being fair to parents, doing justice to parents, but we’ve kind of lost track of doing justice to children as well,” said Rich Gehrman, founder of Safe Passage.
At the sentencing, Sarah cried and apologized, but the family’s attorney, Rich Hector, said it was “too little, too late” and showed no remorse. Brett said nothing. Kelsey Cruz, who had not seen Autumn for seven months before her death, had to buy a wig to cover her daughter’s missing hair for the funeral.
A closed casket was suggested, but Kelsey insisted the family see her one last time. Autumn’s celebration of life was held on August 23, 2020, at Zimmerman Lions Park.
To remember Autumn, Kelsey had a Build-A-Bear Workshop teddy bear that Autumn made fitted with touch-activated buttons. One plays a recording of Autumn saying her name; the other plays her laugh. The family takes the bear to gatherings and includes it in family pictures.
On her ninth birthday, they planted an Autumn Blaze maple tree in their front yard. On her 10th birthday, a purple memorial bench was installed at the Elk River Boys and Girls Club, with the words “Have a happy heart” across the back—something Autumn often said.
The case highlights systemic failures that allowed a child to be tortured to death while authorities looked the other way. Autumn’s mother continues to fight for accountability, hoping that her daughter’s story will prevent other children from suffering the same fate. “She gave the best hugs,” Kelsey said.
“She loved to sing, dance, and put on shows. She was kind, energetic, and helpful. She did well in school and liked to draw and write special notes for her family.
She loved the outdoors and was passionate about gymnastics. She was just a little girl who deserved so much better.”
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