A woman in
America has been charged with two counts of murder after the remains of three
babies were found in the filthy, vermin-infested home she shared with her
boyfriend and four other children. Erika Murray, 31, was charged with foetal
death concealment, witness intimidation and permitting substantial injury to a
child.
Her
boyfriend, Ray Rivera, is charged with offences including assault and battery
on a child and reckless endangerment of a child.
Prosecutors
described the horrific conditions that four children - aged from six months to
13 years - were found alive in at the house.
Authorities
said there were piles of dirty diapers, rubbish strewn everywhere, and remains
of dead animals. The children were removed from the address in August after a
10-year-old boy went to a neighbour's house, and asked for help in quieting a
crying baby.
The
neighbour discovered a severely neglected six-month-old baby covered in
excrement, and a three-year-old child.
The older children were interviewed; and
police searched the house in Massachusetts, where they discovered the remains
of three babies.
Charges have
been brought for the murder of two of the babies - one who was wearing a
onesie, and the other who was in a diaper.
It is
believed that the third dead infant still had its placenta attached, and Murray
has therefore not been charged with its murder.
She is being
held on $1million bail after pleading not guilty to the offences she was first
charged with. Murray is yet to enter pleas to the murder charge.
The
prosecutor said in court that DNA proves Rivera is also the father of all seven
children that lived in the home, and quoted a pediatrician as saying this was
worst case of extreme neglect she has ever seen.
The judge
set bail for Rivera at $100,000 - he denies all the charges against him.
The house
that the couple shared was condemned and has since been demolished
0 Comments