Parents punished dead boy, 10, by denying water. The boy's dad, Michael Ray James, and stepmother, Tina Alberson, both 42, were jailed after being charged Thursday with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.

DALLAS (AP) — A 10-year-old Dallas-area boy who died of dehydration after his father and stepmother kept water from him was being punished for wetting the bed, authorities say.

The boy, Johnathan James died July 25 after water was kept from him for five days while temperatures soared to 100 degrees or more each day, police said. The boy's dad, Michael Ray James, and stepmother, Tina Alberson, both 42, were jailed after being charged Thursday with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.

Johnathan's twin brother, Joseph James, and a 12-year-old stepbrother were not injured and are staying with relatives.

Attorneys for the dad and stepmother did not immediately return calls seeking comment left at their offices Saturday night.

Joseph told the Dallas Morning News (http://dallasne.ws/qOpWSJ) that his parents put Johnathan in a room without air conditioning and told him to stand by the window. Joseph said that on the day Johnathan died he had peanut butter stuck in his throat but his parents wouldn't let him wash it down.

"They still wouldn't let him have water," Joseph said.

Joseph told the newspaper he wanted to help his brother but was worried he would face similar punishment.

"I wanted to do something, but I couldn't," Joseph said. "I couldn't do nothing because I would get in trouble."

Police documents show the boy suffered until he collapsed at his father's Red Bird home and hit his head on the floor. He was taken to a hospital, and authorities say Michael James told authorities there that Jonathan was sick. Medical staff were unable to revive the child.

The boys' grandmother, Sue Shotwell, said Jonathan was easy-going and never held a grudge.

"This kid, if you know Jonathan, he could forgive you for no matter what you did," Shotwell said. "You could ground him, and he would say 'I love you, Mimi.'"

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Johnathan James dies from dehydration punishment
5:31 PM, Aug 26, 2011

Dallas, TX (WFAA/CNN) - A 10-year-old Dallas boy died, allegedly at the hands of his father and step-mother, and his twin brother talks about what led to his death.

"But I didn't do nothing because I would get in trouble. I wanted to do something, I just did, but I couldn't," said Joseph James.

At age 10, Joseph James isn't just well-spoken, he's remarkably collected considering the deadly abuse he said his twin brother faced last month.

"The day that he died, they made him eat a PBJ, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the peanut butter got stuck in his throat and they still wouldn't let him have water," said Joseph.

Johnathan and Joseph James are fraternal twins. Both boys were good in school. They earned "student of the month" at the same time, enjoyed cub scouts as well. But last month, the twins were staying with their dad and step-mom when Dallas police say the couple deprived Johnathan of water, punishing him because they thought he took guitar parts from their step-brother.

They made him stand in front of a window. They put an 'X' on the floor and an 'X' on the window and the sun was coming straight through it and there was no air conditioning there," said Joseph.

It went on for five days. No liquids, police say, until finally the 10-year-old collapsed and died.

"When we picked him up and leaned him over the kitchen chair he was shaking and moaning," said Joseph.

He remembers feeling helpless.

"I couldn't do nothing about it because if I said something I would end up getting in trouble, too," he said.

Thursday, Dallas police arrested Johnathan's father, Michael James, and his step-mother, Tina Alberson. They were charged with injury to a child.

"It should never have happened," said the twins' mother, Krista Bishop.

The arrests are a relief for the twins' mom, Joseph too. Justice they hope for Johnathan's death from dehydration.

If the dad and step-mom are convicted, they could face up to 99 years in prison.

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Jonathan James: 10-year old boy dies after parents refused to let him drink water for 5 days as punishment!

Jonathan James, a 10-year old boy from North Texas, died on July 25th due to dehydration after Michael James and Tina Alberson, the boy’s father and stepmother, refused to let him drink water for 5 days as punishment after he took some guitar strings from one of his siblings.

Grandmother Sue Shotwell said Jonathan and his twin brother Joseph were spending the summer with their biological father because of a court ordered custody arrangement. But the boy’s were reluctant to go, she said.

Shotwell believes Joseph knew what was happening and wanted to help his brother but was afraid he would be punished as well.

"I did tell him, 'I don't want you to feel guilty because there's nothing you could do.' And he says, 'I wish I had snuck him some water,'" she said.

She is now concerned about Joseph’s well being. He apparently watched Jonathan collapse and continues to relive the moment he lost his twin.

Shotwell said there are a lot of things she’ll miss about her grandson.

His smile, his laugh, his running in and out of the door saying, ‘Love you, Meme,’” she said.

If convicted, James and Alberson could face up to 99 years in prison.

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HOW can this grandmother not be sobbing her eyes out??

I just saw this case discussed on JVM Im completely appalled
these people are guilty of torture and murder and they should be eligible for the death penalty.

Disgusting. Imagine the slow suffering he withstood.