COLUMBUS, OH — A wave of anguish has swept across the city of Columbus following the conclusion of a harrowing and deeply disturbing case. After months of investigation and legal proceedings, Lashanda Wilder, 33, has been sentenced to life in prison—with the possibility of parole after 15 years—for the brutal murder and abuse of her 8-year-old son, Martonio Wilder.
What began as a missing child case in June 2024 has been revealed to be one of the most heartbreaking examples of prolonged child abuse and deception in recent local memory.
The Torment of Martonio Wilder
For much of his young life, Martonio Wilder endured horrific abuse at the hands of his mother, Lashanda Wilder, and her partner, Johnna Lowe, 34. Authorities say Martonio was consistently mistreated and singled out for cruel punishment. He was often locked inside a closet to prevent him from searching for food, subjected to deliberate malnutrition, and forced to walk naked up and down stairs while carrying a heavy medicine ball—a degrading form of punishment designed to break his spirit.
Those familiar with the family reported that Martonio received harsher treatment than the other children in the home, describing his suffering as both obvious and deeply disturbing.
Tragically, the abuse culminated in Martonio becoming unresponsive. Instead of calling for help, Lashanda Wilder and Johnna Lowe chose to cover up their crimes. The pair placed Martonio’s lifeless body in a laundry bag, then inside a garbage bag, before hiding him in the attic of their home on Olmstead Avenue.
A Desperate Deception
In an effort to mislead investigators, Lashanda Wilder called 911 and falsely reported her son missing. The deception was short-lived. On June 28, 2024, Columbus police—assisted by a cadaver dog—searched the residence and discovered Martonio Wilder’s body hidden in the attic.
According to the Franklin County Coroner, Martonio died from a combination of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. His body showed signs of malnourishment, dehydration, and multiple bruises to the head and face—clear evidence of chronic and fatal abuse.
Following the discovery, Wilder and Lowe fled the scene with two other children and left them in the care of Mary Johnson, Lashanda’s mother and Martonio’s grandmother. When investigators questioned Johnson, she lied to authorities and denied that the children were in her custody. She was later charged with obstruction of justice, receiving a suspended sentence and two years of community control.
Further Betrayal
In a further twist of cruelty, police uncovered that Lashanda Wilder had stolen over $1,000 from the Popeyes restaurant where she worked, claiming it was to pay for Martonio Wilder’s funeral expenses. However, the timeline proved otherwise—she had stolen the money before Martonio had died, showing premeditated financial misconduct and utter disregard for her son’s life.
Sentencing and Justice
On June 15, 2025, Lashanda Wilder pleaded guilty to murder, abuse of a corpse, and theft. Her partner, Johnna Lowe, had already pleaded guilty earlier that month and was sentenced to life in prison under the same terms.
Although the punishment cannot undo the years of pain that Martonio Wilder endured, it brings some measure of justice to a case that has devastated an entire community.
A Life Lost, A Name Remembered
The death of Martonio Wilder has left a permanent scar on those who knew him—and even those who didn’t. He was just eight years old. A child who, by all accounts, had been failed repeatedly and tragically by the adults entrusted with his care.
Now, his name lives on—not as a victim of silence, but as a rallying cry for reform, vigilance, and compassion. Martonio Wilder’s story must be remembered so that no other child suffers in the shadows.
Let his memory shine a light in the darkest places.
Rest in peace, Martonio Wilder.
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