Police in Iowa detained three brothers on suspicion of depriving their 18-year-old sibling food and water and tying him to a bed.

Ezekiel Baseme, 18, was discovered dead by authorities on Nov. 9, 2024, in the house he shared with his three brothers, Azane Baseme, 23, Pierre Baseme, 26, and Christian Baseme, 30, according to a search warrant that KCRG, a local ABC station, was able to get. Before the three brothers reported the death, Ezikiel Baseme’s decaying body had been left for days, according to the police.

Ezekiel Baseme’s difficult last days were revealed during an investigation into his death; it was said that he had been chained to a bed following a “violent” episode of schizophrenia.

Ezekiel Baseme had a psychotic episode on Nov. 3, 2024, according to KCRG, following two weeks of allegedly abnormal behaviour. He claimed to be hallucinating and hearing voices, and he threatened his family. The family once reported to the authorities that Ezekiel Baseme had threatened their neighbours after sneaking out of his bedroom in the middle of the night. For their own protection, the three brothers allegedly restrained their younger sibling to his bed as a result.

The brothers told police that Ezekiel Baseme didn’t eat or drink after his reported Nov. 3 incident, and that he attempted to attack them when they untied him to offer him water.

On the night of November 6, 2024, the brothers reported to the police that Ezekiel Baseme had ceased breathing, but they also said that he had been making noises on November 5 and 6 as he resisted the ropes holding him down.

The next morning, Nov. 7, 2024, the brothers reported that their youngest brother was cold to the touch, although telling police that his heart was still beating. His body started to “swell and smell” on November 8, 2024, which is when they concluded he was dead.

On November 9, 2024, they finally announced the death.

The coroner concluded that Ezekiel Baseme died from “complications of probable starvation and dehydration in a setting of physical restraint,” according to KCRG.

After an inquiry, the three brothers were taken into custody on March 28 and charged with forced detention, assault resulting in serious harm, and involuntary manslaughter. All of them are currently being held without bond at the Lin County Jail.

There was no available date for their next court date.

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