Just weeks after his wife, Lisa Waldron, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the death of her 17-year-old son Jordan Brooks, Brooks’ stepfather now faces trial.

Anthony Waldron faces multiple charges in the case, including second-degree murder and first-degree assault. The case has also often been linked to ongoing criticism of Oswego County’s Department of Social Services.

In May 2021, Jordan Brooks, by all accounts a sweet and funny 17-year-old Mexico High School student, died in Oswego County.

While teachers and classmates mourned, it wouldn’t be until March 2022 that Brooks, who had cerebral palsy, would become a household name in Central New York. That was the day his mother Lisa and stepfather Anthony were charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.

They were later charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault.

According to court documents, Lisa and Anthony allegedly failed to seek medical attention for various ailments, including bedsores that progressed to the point of exposing bone, eventually leading to the teenager’s death.

Parallel to his parents’ legal cases, criticism mounted of the Oswego Department of Social Services, tasked with handling reports of neglect from Brooks' teachers.

“We need people to do their jobs correctly,” a participant at a vigil for him at Mexico High School said at the time.

Department of Social Services Commissioner Stacy Alford said while the department took responsibility for not following up on certain issues, it was only able to work with the information they were given.

“Mrs. Waldron knew well what her child’s needs were,” she told Spectrum News 1.

Ultimately, an investigation commissioned by Oswego County, along with another probe done by New York state, found staffing shortages led to shortcomings in casework.

Lisa pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault in July, and was sentenced in September to 20 years in prison. This came after she received a two-year sentence for stealing Jordan's disability checks.

Oswego County officials said in the spring of 2022 that a second investigation into Brooks’ case would be conducted following criminal proceedings. Spectrum News 1 reached out to them for an update on that, but have not heard back.