A Milwaukee mother accused of child neglect and incarceration after her two sons fled their ‘horror movie’ home posted glossy photos of her family online – when in reality the boys lived in misery.
Katie Koch, 34, and her boyfriend Joel Manke, 38, were both arrested after the boys, aged seven and nine, smashed a window in their home on July 13, leaving naked and bedraggled.
A witness said the little boys acted like “cavemen who had never seen the sun” as they roamed the street.
But Koch used her Instagram account to paint a very different picture, depicting a happy family where the boys spent time with their grandmother, played in the snow, enjoyed baking and decorating for Christmas, and went on fun road trips.
Katie Koch, 34, and her boyfriend Joel Manke, 38, can be seen in a photo posted on Instagram. Koch frequently shared pictures showing a happy family life, when in reality her sons were locked up and living in misery
The mother of the boys who fled a “house of horrors” last week – Katie Koch, 34 – is charged with four counts and two misdemeanor counts related to child neglect and false imprisonment, while her boyfriend Joel Manke, 38, faces charges four offenses
Manke told investigators he has lived in the home since 2007, while Koch said she moved in with her children about four years ago.
He first appeared on her social media in October 2019, around the same time Koch and her kids moved in with him.
For Halloween that year, the family dressed up – Manke and Chef in onesies and one of the kids in a Paw Patrol outfit, along with a relative dressed up as a ladybug.
In November 2019, Koch showcased her son Chase’s baking skills, posting pictures of what appeared to be an enthusiastic child holding a tray of colorful cupcakes.
Over the 2019 holidays, one son was pictured decorating the house with Christmas garlands and another in a Happy New Year outfit.
The wholesome family pictures continued throughout 2020: the boys were shown playing in the snow and Koch praised Manke as a wonderful stepfather.
One of the boys was shown how to bake colorful cupcakes
In another photo, the child can be seen hanging garlands to celebrate Christmas
The family celebrated New Year’s Eve 2019 at home
The family in 2020 is shown playing in the snow
In June 2020, the boys were seen charging towards their grandmother
In October 2020, the family celebrated Dominic’s fifth birthday
In June 2020, the boys were seen rushing towards their grandmother and throwing themselves into her arms. Four months later, the family celebrated Dominic’s fifth birthday with balloons and fun costumes.
Her last photos with the children were posted in January 2021 on the occasion of Manke’s 36th birthday.
“Hippo Birdie Two Ewe my love I’m so blessed to know you.” All from you. “For who you really, really are,” she wrote, accompanied by photos of Manke with the boys and her.
“You are an AMAZING man, best friend, dad to our boys and all our FurBabies and every other role you fill.”
“May 36th will be the best year yet.” To many, many, many, many more years, Odin!!!!’
The last photo she posted of herself was a month later. Her last post was in January of this year and featured a bunch of gothic memes.
Investigators said the boys had apparently lived in squalor for years as they had not gone to the bathroom and had not had a haircut or seen a doctor since 2019.
Koch tutored her sons at home.
During a police interview, Manke said he knew the living conditions for the children were not good, but that he had to deal with Koch to avoid altercations.
Koch was filmed in a subsequent court hearing looking upset when a prosecutor detailed the abuse and neglect she allegedly inflicted on her children.
Police responding to an emergency call from residents in the lakefront eastern Wisconsin town said the home was so cluttered with belongings that the floor was not visible, describing it as a “horrific hoarding situation.”
On July 13, neighbors first spotted their children, their hair matted with feces, peering through a broken window.
On Monday, Koch appeared before the Milwaukee County Court of Appeals, where the assistant district attorney described the living conditions as “right out of a horror movie.”
Pictured: ‘House of Secrets’, from which the boys, aged seven and nine, escaped naked and bloodied, their hair matted with feces, after breaking free through a broken window last week
They said the boys climbed onto an air conditioner through the window before jumping into the yard and walking down the street completely naked.
A resident of the street, Christine Eder, said the children looked like they had never been outside.
“They just went differently,” said Eder.
“Her hair looked like it had never been brushed, never cut.” They didn’t know the outside existed.’
Eder said the family home is usually quiet and she’s never seen anyone going in and out, let alone heard any children.
She was stunned by the scene, which unfolded outside the normally unremarkable home, and she watched over the boys while her husband called 911.
On Monday, Koch appeared before the Milwaukee County Court of Appeals, where the assistant district attorney described the living conditions as “right out of a horror movie.”
Mallory Davis said the boys were locked in their rooms, with the windows boarded up and the doors locked from the outside.
Conditions were so bad that the children had to have their heads shaved because their hair was caked with feces.
“These children have been terribly harmed by the actions of their mothers,” Davis said.
“They are completely uneducated.” They are not potty trained even at their age.
“They are essentially unfit to function in society at this point.”
Koch, whose hair was also badly matted in police mug shots, “also admitted the house is not livable” and said, according to WDJT, “her boys deserved better.”
Neighbor Christine Eder said the children looked like they had never been outside. “They just went different.” “Her hair looked like it had never been brushed,” she said
“These children were horribly harmed by their mother’s actions,” said Mallory Davis, assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County
Koch was ordered to post $30,000 in cash bail, which officials said she cannot pay.
Manke’s bail was set at $6,500 and it’s unclear if he paid it.
If convicted on all charges, they face up to 43 years in prison and fines of up to $120,000.
Koch could face an additional $20,000 fine and 18 months in prison for the two offenses.
Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for July 26.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he hopes those responsible for the “horrific” treatment of the children “see justice.”
“I’m glad these children were able to escape, it’s a terrible, unfortunate situation,” he said.
“No child should have to have such an experience, especially with their relatives, in any home, in any community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or the United States.”
“I hope that those responsible, their parents, will get justice in this matter.”