Three babies found dead in 'house of horrors'
Warning: Some of the details in the story below are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.
A woman charged with murder following the discovery of three children's bodies in her "House of Horrors" is mentally ill and cannot be convicted, according to her lawyer.
Erika Murray, 35, of Blackstone, Massachusetts was arrested following the grisly discovery in September 2014.
Her arrest came after a 10-year-old boy who lived in the home asked a neighbour for help in getting a baby to stop crying.
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Her lawyer, Keith Halpern, says there's no proof his client committed a crime, because she is mentally unwell.
"There is no evidence that Ms. Murray did anything wrong or criminal to cause the death of any child," said Halpern.
The house, which has now been demolished, was littered with trash and faeces and infested with insects.
The remains of three infants were found in there and one child was wearing a nappy and fully clothed, according to prosecutors.
Officials also found a 3-year-old and 5-month-old in the home. They were among the four living children who were removed from the house and are now in care.
Prosecution witness Betsy Brown, a neighbour, entered the house after her son said "he could not get the baby to stop crying."
She said she didn't know of any babies in the neighbourhood.
Erika Murray, accused of murder of three infants
As soon as she opened the door to the home, she said, "I could hear the crying, screaming, babies crying... you could clearly hear children in distress."
She said the smell in the home was "overcoming, I can't even describe it, it was a horrible, horrible smell, there was trash and stuff everywhere, you really couldn't see the floor."
Prosecutor Christopher Hodgens said authorities found a 5-month-old baby on a bed and a toddler "rocking violently" on a bed.
"Those children had never seen the light of day," said the Assistant District Attorney. "They had never seen a doctor, they had never been immunized for anything. They had impaired development."
Prosecutors also said the toddler that was found in the house could not hold herself up properly.
The baby could cry but was barely able to make any sounds, according to prosecutors.
They also said both children showed evidence of flattened heads, indicating they spent a lot of time on their backs.
Murray's 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son were born in hospitals and attended schools.
Murray was charged with murder in just two of the deaths. She has pleaded not guilty.
She waived her right to a jury trial during her appearance on Tuesday. Judge Janet Kenton-Walker will determine the verdict.
The case continues... More details at 7news.com.au
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