Man accused of locking 10-year-old daughter in basement unfit to stand trial, doctor says

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- A doctor has declared a Waukegan man unfit to stand trial for allegedly locking his daughter in a basement because he thought she was possessed by demons.

Randy Swopes, 48, and his wife Katherine Swopes, 49, allegedly kept the 10-year-old girl in the basement for more than a year.

Police discovered the girl living in the basement in poor conditions in the 200-block of Liberty Street last month thanks to an anonymous tip.

"She was showering with a bucket, she was using the bathroom in a child's port-a-potty, she had very, very limited access to the outside," said Commander Joe Florip, Waukegan Police Department.

Since at least January, the girl was locked in the basement at night and had limited access to the outside, police said. The girl was given a training toilet for a bathroom and showered from a bucket, police said. Investigators also believe she was kept away from her siblings - ages 7, 13 and 15.

The parents allegedly told authorities they believed the girl was "possessed by a demon," police said.

"During the course of the investigation a statement had been made by at least one of the suspects that they believed the 10-year-old child was possessed by a demon," Frolip said.

Randy and Katherine Swopes were arrested and charged with child endangerment and unlawful restraint. The father is being held in lieu of $750,000 bond and mother is being held in lieu of $150,000 bond.

Randy Swopes will now have a fitness hearing to determine if his trial can continue or if he should be sent to a state mental facility.