YouTube series mom dies
Jailed woman accused of abuse had brain injury
Machelle Hobson, a Maricopa mother accused of abusing and neglecting her seven adopted children whom she featured in a popular YouTube series, died of natural causes Tuesday after weeks of deteriorating health, Pinal County officials said.
Machelle Hobson, a Maricopa mother accused of abusing and neglecting her seven adopted children she featured in a popular YouTube series, died of natural causes on Tuesday morning at a Scottsdale hospital after weeks of deteriorating health, Pinal County officials confirmed Wednesday.
Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer said it was unfortunate his office wouldn’t be able to prosecute Hobson but was relieved her children wouldn’t have to relive their nightmares while testifying against her had her pending case made it to trial.
“The only way that we could have proved these charges is the children would have been required to testify under oath in front of a jury, in front of the world and everyone else,” Volkmer said, during a press conference Wednesday in Florence. “Because of the resolution of this case, these kids don’t have to testify, which means they now can begin the healing process. They can move on to the next
“Because of the resolution of this case, these kids don’t have to testify, which means they now can begin the healing process. They can move on to the next chapter in their life.”
Kent Volkmer Pinal County attorney
chapter in their life.”
Volkmer said Hobson suffered a brain injury in a Pinal County jail in late May and had to be transported to a local hospital for treatment as her health deteriorated. Volkmer refused to give details surrounding her brain injury, citing patient privacy laws such as HIPAA but confirmed the injury wasn’t due to trauma.
Hobson was arrested and booked into Pinal County Jail before a grand jury indicted her on 30 counts that included child abuse and kidnapping. A judge ordered a mental health evaluation for Hobson after the brain injury and declared her incompetent to stand trial in August.
Maricopa police arrested Hobson, 47, earlier this year, saying she beat, starved and pepper-sprayed the children — sometimes in their genitals — if she deemed their performances on her YouTube channel “Fantastic Adventures” were inadequate. Police said she also locked the children in rooms and refused to provide them with food or water for days.
The channel was taken down and the associated bank accounts, where she placed money she earned off the videos, were frozen shortly after her arrest.
Police also arrested Hobson’s two biological sons, Ryan and Logan Hackney, on suspicion of failing to report the abuse. Volkmer said the biological sons didn’t have pending charges against them but would continue to investigate if there was wrongdoing on their part.
Volkmer said the young children are in the Department of Child Safety’s custody and some of them may be with foster families. He added that DCS is attempting to keep the children together but noted that decision was within that agency’s purview.
Volkmer said he didn’t know if the Maricopa County Medical Examiner would perform an autopsy.
Hobson’s attorneys, Jennifer Willmott and Robyn Greenberg Varcoe, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.