'We're really not bad parents,' say Unity couple accused of locking son in closet

A Unity couple accused of locking their 9-year-old son inside a closet and nailing it shut so they could attend a relative’s birthday party say they love him and hope their family is soon reunited.

“We want people to know that we’re really not bad parents. We love our kids,” Shawn Waulk, 32, told the Tribune-Review on Monday after he and his wife waived their right to a preliminary hearing.

The couple are charged with endangering the welfare of a child, false imprisonment and reckless endangerment. Their three children were removed from their custody and are living with relatives after the Feb. 23 incident.

“I will tell you we both love them all, miss them and want them back. When we had our custody hearing, all of our children, including (the 9-year-old), were crying that they wanted to stay with us,” Shawn Waulk said in a phone interview.

Tammy Jo Waulk, 33, added that their son has “a lot of behavioral issues” that the family has had to deal with.

“We’ve contacted the school, mental health, children’s services, seeking help with him, and we’ve been unable to obtain the assistance we need,” she said. “But we do love him and want him back.”

The county children’s bureau alerted state police after receiving a phone tip that the boy “had been locked and barricaded in a closet screwed down by pieces of wood,” Trooper Evan Terek reported in court documents, leaving him “unsupervised and trapped.” Children’s services investigators allege the couple locked the boy in the closet three times in February.

“(The Waulks) have used nails, screws, wood and a light cord string in an attempt to secure the door,” Terek reported.

During a prior incident, the boy told investigators he broke through the door “but got into trouble,” according to court records.

The Waulks admitted to the incidents in an interview, Terek said. Tammy Jo Waulk told troopers the couple attended the party for approximately 1¹⁄₂ hours.

“Shawn Waulk acknowledged that (the child) would have been unable to escape … if there was an emergency,” Terek reported.

Asked Monday if they thought securing their son inside a closet with screws was appropriate, they declined to comment, saying their attorney Matt Schimizzi advised them not to discuss the case.

They said they have a second attorney working on the custody issues.

“We have a stack of emails from schools and everywhere for years talking about the behavioral issues with this particular child. He’s really not a bad kid, but when he acts out he’s uncontrollable,” Shawn Waulk said. “We love him and will always love him.”

Schimizzi said there is no plea agreement in the case.

The couple remains free on $25,000 unsecured bond. They are scheduled to be arraigned May 20 before Judge Tim Krieger.