According to our reporting partners at WNDU, a Starke County couple is facing felony charges in relation to alleged abuse of their teenage child.
45-year-old Robert Huff and 39-year-old Kari Huff were taken into custody on March 11th and charged last week. The incident reportedly occurred on June 28th, 2025.
The Indiana State Police shared that both parents are being charged with domestic battery and neglect of a dependent, with Robert being additionally charged with strangulation.
Court documents state the child and mother got into an argument during a drive, during which the child told authorities Kari slapped him multiple times and punched him in the face three times.
According to the child’s statement, when they arrived home, his father Robert grabbed his neck, pushed him against a wall causing him to hit his head on a toolbox, and hit him in the ribs.
The Indiana State Police also interviewed the child’s older brother, who stated that he attempted to obtain guardianship of his younger brother after the incident, but guardianship was ultimately granted to the boy’s maternal grandfather, Starke County Commissioner Don Binkley.
The Indiana State Police stated that due to a potential conflict of interest, the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office requested the appointment of a Special Prosecutor, so the case has been assigned to the Howard County Prosecutor’s Office.
WNDU states that its team has reached out to Binkley for a statement regarding the situation.
A reminder that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
