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Three southwestern Ohio women are now charged with murder after a 5-year-old boy died Friday morning after he was beaten nearly to death in their hotel room Wednesday.

(File photo)

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - Three women were charged with murder Friday after one of two boys found badly beaten in a Middletown motel room died.

Alexander Stephens, 5, was found by police Wednesday night with his brother, 6, in a motel room at Middletown's Parkway Inn, WCPO reports. Police were called to the room on a report of a dead child.

Neither of the boys was dead, but they were both taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital due to the severity of their injuries. Alexander died Friday morning, according to WCPO.

Alexander's brother's current condition is unknown.

The Middletown police chief posted a heartfelt message on Facebook after receiving word of Alexander's death.

Tough day today for the Middletown police officers and fire medics who responded to the call at the motel Wednesday... Posted by Middletown Division of Police on Friday, April 29, 2016

The three women inside the room were the boys' mother, 26-year-old Theresa Hawkins-Stephens; Hawkins-Stephens' friend Rachael Bostian, 29 and Bostian's mother Ramona Bostian, 56. All were originally charged with two counts of felonious child endangering and assault, but now each faces a murder charge, WCPO reports.

The boys' mother and her friend Rachael Bostian received a $1 million bond during their Friday morning arraignment, while Ramona Bostian's bond was set at $500,000. The women are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 6 in Middletown Municipal Court, according to WCPO.

Court documents state that Hawkins-Stephens tied up her sons after they were accused of stealing food. They were repeatedly hit and slapped, and the boys were left tied up for more than 24 hours without food or water, WCPO writes.

Middletown is nestled about 50 miles north of Cincinnati and about 25 miles south of Dayton.

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