By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

A 31-year-old Northwest Missouri woman, accused of punishing a child by keeping her in a cage and starving her for months, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Jennifer Reed had faced 42 felony charges in the case until she pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

A 52-year-old man, also implicated in the case, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Raymond Burks entered a similar plea deal, getting slightly less than the maximum sentences.

Prosecutors say Reed and Burks abused an 11-year-old girl in their care from July of 2017 through February of last year, handcuffing her to a cage and withholding food as a form of punishment.

A third defendant in the case, Lonnie Johnson, will be sentenced in November.