In Gloucester Circuit Court Friday morning, presiding judge William Hamblen tossed out the more serious of two charges facing Brian and Shannon Gore, a charge of homicide of their seven-month-old son, Conner Scott.

Ruling on a defense motion to dismiss the indictment, the judge said that, assuming the child had suffered from malnutrition, there was not sufficient evidence presented to draw the conclusion that that was the cause of the child’s death.

After hearing from a sole defense witness and a rebuttal witness called by the commonwealth Friday afternoon, Hamblen found the couple guilty of the lesser charge of felony child neglect. He set their sentencing for July 22.

Following the split verdict, Brian Gore’s counsel complimented the commonwealth’s case and said there were no winners. “There is no winning in these cases. One child is dead and the other child was abused,” attorney Michael Hyman said. “I think the judge followed the evidence.&rdqu...