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Starving Children

Aired January 06, 2003 - 13:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A disturbing story of child abuse out of New Jersey. A 7-year-old boy is found dead a day after his two brothers are found starving and locked inside a home. Police are searching for the caregiver.
CNN's Jamie Colby has been following the story. She joins us live from New Jersey.

Jamie, what can you tell us?

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the 5 and 7-year-old boys were found in a locked basement on Saturday by police. They were transported to UMDNJ hospital here in New Jersey, badly burned and emaciated. This morning, the mayor described the deplorable conditions those boys were being kept in an otherwise well-man cured neighborhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once in a locked basement, he saw another room, a bedroom turned out to be, locked. He entered that room, as heretofore, stated and found the two children in that room in terrible state. The room was a nightmare, feces, you name it, vomiting, all the ills that you want to think of. Two boys, age 7 and 5, having been locked in the room without any care or any treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLBY: Now, once the children were transported to the hospital, the 7-year-old described a twin brother that he hadn't seen in weeks. Police returned to the home on Sunday, and in another room in that locked basement found a body in a sleeping bag that they believe is the 7-year-old brother. They're unable to tell, they say, because the body had been there so long and so badly decomposed that it will take an autopsy to identify whether or not it was their brother.

Now, police have issued the warrant for the arrest of Sherri Murphy, who was caring for the boys. She was a relative of their mother who had been incarcerated on assault charges. She was released from jail, however, back in August, but was unable to find her boys, according to the police. She is in a hospital in New York City right now on her way to UMDNJ to see the children. She was hit by a car. Police say she's in serious condition. The story gets even more tragic. The boys cannot see their mother at this time, but they're being well cared for, and the mayor describes, despite what they've been through, they are two very happy boys. They are taking a very hard look at this case, though, the boys were also being watched by the Division of Youth and Family Services. They had taken on the case while their mother was in jail, but apparently, never made any home visits, closed the case, and now the authorities are researching why they let these children fall through the cracks, similar to other stories we've heard, as in Florida, where children are lost in the system, no doubt in this case with tragic circumstances.

Jamie Colby, CNN, Newark, New Jersey -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You can bet we'll follow up on this story. Jamie Kolbe, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 6, 2003 - 13:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A disturbing story of child abuse out of New Jersey. A 7-year-old boy is found dead a day after his two brothers are found starving and locked inside a home. Police are searching for the caregiver.
CNN's Jamie Colby has been following the story. She joins us live from New Jersey.

Jamie, what can you tell us?

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the 5 and 7-year-old boys were found in a locked basement on Saturday by police. They were transported to UMDNJ hospital here in New Jersey, badly burned and emaciated. This morning, the mayor described the deplorable conditions those boys were being kept in an otherwise well-man cured neighborhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once in a locked basement, he saw another room, a bedroom turned out to be, locked. He entered that room, as heretofore, stated and found the two children in that room in terrible state. The room was a nightmare, feces, you name it, vomiting, all the ills that you want to think of. Two boys, age 7 and 5, having been locked in the room without any care or any treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLBY: Now, once the children were transported to the hospital, the 7-year-old described a twin brother that he hadn't seen in weeks. Police returned to the home on Sunday, and in another room in that locked basement found a body in a sleeping bag that they believe is the 7-year-old brother. They're unable to tell, they say, because the body had been there so long and so badly decomposed that it will take an autopsy to identify whether or not it was their brother.

Now, police have issued the warrant for the arrest of Sherri Murphy, who was caring for the boys. She was a relative of their mother who had been incarcerated on assault charges. She was released from jail, however, back in August, but was unable to find her boys, according to the police. She is in a hospital in New York City right now on her way to UMDNJ to see the children. She was hit by a car. Police say she's in serious condition. The story gets even more tragic. The boys cannot see their mother at this time, but they're being well cared for, and the mayor describes, despite what they've been through, they are two very happy boys. They are taking a very hard look at this case, though, the boys were also being watched by the Division of Youth and Family Services. They had taken on the case while their mother was in jail, but apparently, never made any home visits, closed the case, and now the authorities are researching why they let these children fall through the cracks, similar to other stories we've heard, as in Florida, where children are lost in the system, no doubt in this case with tragic circumstances.

Jamie Colby, CNN, Newark, New Jersey -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You can bet we'll follow up on this story. Jamie Kolbe, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com