A woman has been arrested in Massachusetts after the remains of three infants were pulled out of a vermin-infested condemned home two weeks after four children were found alive in the same home.
Erika Murray, 31, reportedly lived at the house and will be charged with witness intimidation and unspecified charges relating to the deplorable conditions of the home. It is unknown whether Murray was related to any of the children who were found at the home.
Police are not releasing several key facts regarding this case, including the cause of the babies' deaths, the location of their parents, or their exact ages or genders. Here's what we do know so far: the house was reportedly infested with vermin and filled with flies and bugs. Used diapers were all over the place and reached two feet high in some areas of the home.
Two weeks prior to this horrific discovery, police were called to the house after a child living there told a neighbor that another child in the residence was crying. Cops found a 6-month-old covered in feces, as well as a 3-year-old, 10-year-old, and 13-year-old. They were placed in state custody. It isn't clear whether these children are related to one another or how many adults were living in the house at the time. A neighbor reportedly says a woman and her boyfriend lived in the house and that they had only ever seen them caring for a little boy and a little girl.
We're also not sure why police were unable to recover the remains of three infants in the house until just yesterday. We don't know where they were found, and considering their description of the home, it doesn't sound like it would have been a piece of cake to perform a thorough investigation on the spot.
It's horrifying to think anyone would allow a child to live in filth. Let's hope these children find good homes and responsible and loving caretakers and that whoever is responsible for this is apprehended and held accountable for their actions.
What do you think happened here? Where are these children's parents?
Image via Steven Depolo/Flickr