Hitchcock's mayor said he is innocent and that his connection to an alleged illegal gambling bust does not affect his roles in city government and Hitchcock ISD.
Hitchcock police offered an update in what has been described as torturous conditions that the victim's stepdad claims was an attempt to heal his ailments.
Authorities said the parents restrained him to his room for weeks, tying his wrists together and around his neck to keep him from acting out.
The son is 45, was weighing 70 pounds, and is hanging on to life in the hospital. Meanwhile, the man's mom and stepdad are being accused of causing his disfigurements.
The girl was home alone with her father, and at some point he went to another room, police said. When he came back the little girl was gone.
The 27-year-old victim, who family identified as a Texas City woman, may have been innocent bystander in the shooting, a neighbor says.