UXBRIDGE-
The Blackstone woman who was living in a filthy home where police discovered the bodies of three infants is believed to be the mother of the babies and four other children authorities removed from the house, officials said today.
Erika Murray, 31, was ordered held without bail following her arraignment in Uxbridge District Court today on charges, including "fetal death concealment out of wedlock," intimidation of a witness, and two counts of permitting substantial injury to a child. Police and workers wearing hazardous material suits swarmed the rat-infested home yesterday, when police made the stunning discovery of the remains of three infants.
She pleaded not guilty, and is due back in court Oct. 14.
Four children between the ages of 13 and as young as 1-year-old had earlier been taken out of the home and into custody by the state Department of Children and Families.
According to state records, Murray is the mother of the two oldest children, though no birth records existed for the two youngest children, police said in a statement today.
An official source said police officials believe she is the mother to all seven children.
"This has been a trying, difficult week for our investigators and for the residents of Blackstone," Chief Ross Atstupenas said. "This is not the kind of thing anyone would expect in our community or in any other place for that matter. I want to thank everyone for their patience and cooperation as this investigation has unfolded. Our priorities are to ensure that the four children are safe and to make sure justice is served going forward."
Blackstone Police said in a statement that they responded to the home on Aug. 28 for well-being check, where they found it in a state of "squalor," with garbage, debris, and dirty diapers stacked over a foot high in places.
Police said an officer first found what appeared to be the body of a newborn baby, tucked into the back of a closet in one of the rooms of the house. As police searched more, they later found two additional human bodies, believed to have been newborn babies, as well as the skeletal remains of several animals, including cats and a dog.
Murray has also been charged with animal cruelty.
Her attorney, Keith Halpern, said she is mentally ill.
"Investigators have to wear protective suits to go into the house, and she was living there," Halpern said. "Who would live there is they weren't mentally ill?"
Outside court, the Worcester County district attorney's office said two weeks ago, a 10-year-old boy ran to a neighbors home and asked, "How do you get a baby to stop crying?"
The neighbor went inside the boy's home were they found a 5-month-old baby covered in feces and "filth," the DA's office has said.
The cops were called and the board of health condemned the house . The children -- a 13 year old girl, the boy, a three year old and the baby -- were taken into state custody.
Tim Connolly, a spokesman for the office, said in the process of interviewing the children, investigators with the district attorney's office were alerted to information that prompted them to get a search warrant.
Connolly would not say what the information was. That warrant was executed Wednesday.
The same day Murray, 31, appeared in Uxbridge District Court where she had been summoned to appear for reckless endangerment of a child. She was not held.
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/09/blackstone_mother_held_without_bail_in_connection_with_discovery