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CNN Saturday Morning News

Child Abuse Case in New Jersey Implicates Cousin

Aired January 11, 2003 - 07:20   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more details now on that horrible case of child abuse in New Jersey. A 16-year-old cousin of two boys found starving in a Newark basement has been arrested. Their brother's body was later found stuffed in a storage bin.
Reporter Jamie Colby joins us now from New York with more on this -- hi, Jamie.

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning.

Newark police never ruled out the possibility there would be more suspects in the case when they arrested go-go dancer Sherry Murphy last week, or actually on Thursday. The case basically took another turn last night when a second relative, a 16-year-old cousin, was arrested on one count of aggravated assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Newark Mayor Sharpe James said during questioning by the FBI, the teenager made certain statements that led to the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR SHARPE JAMES, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: The reason the juvenile suspect was arrested is the details he provided in connection with the death of 7-year-old Faheem Williams, let to him being charged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLBY: Now, the "New York Times" is reporting that the teenager that was arrested is actually Sherry Murphy's son. The body of Faheem Williams was found on Sunday in Murphy's basement. She had been entrusted with the care of the boys while their mother Melinda Williams was in jail on September child abuse charges. Two other brothers were discovered on Saturday staving and locked in a basement. They remain hospitalized, as does the boys' mother. She's in a New York City hospital following a car accident that she had on her way to see the boys, whom she said she couldn't find after she got out of jail and they were staying with Murphy.

Murphy was charged with three counts of child endangerment. She remains in jail. Her bail was revoked on Friday.

And meanwhile New Jersey's governor is demanding answers in this case that takes one tragic turn after another. He's looking for new reforms in the child welfare system, a system that actually lost track of these three boys. A caseworker who was in charge of supervising their care lost track of them and did not visit them for more than a year. According to the human services commissioner for New York, the case worker and a supervisor in the case have both been suspended. And startling news on Friday in a report that the human services commissioner has submitted to the governor, 280 other kids that were supposed to be in the Division of Youth and Family Services' care were also unaccounted for.

They found 170 of them so far, but 110 New Jersey kids, part of the child welfare system, remain unaccounted for -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Jamie, you know, you say Melinda Williams says that when she got out of jail, she couldn't find the children or Ms. Murphy. If they find out that that was not the case, is there -- it is possible she could be implicated in the death of her son, as well?

COLBY: Well, I'm not sure they would make that connection, but potentially she could face additional child abuse charges. She's hired a defense attorney in the last 24 hours because Sherry Murphy told police, according to the "Star Ledger," that she was, you know, blaming Melinda Williams, saying it wasn't her but it was the boy's mother. All unfounded at this point, unsubstantiated.

This case will be investigated and ongoing for quite some time -- Heidi.

COLLINS: I'm sure.

All right, Jamie Colby in New York, thank you.

COLBY: You're welcome.

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 11, 2003 - 07:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more details now on that horrible case of child abuse in New Jersey. A 16-year-old cousin of two boys found starving in a Newark basement has been arrested. Their brother's body was later found stuffed in a storage bin.
Reporter Jamie Colby joins us now from New York with more on this -- hi, Jamie.

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning.

Newark police never ruled out the possibility there would be more suspects in the case when they arrested go-go dancer Sherry Murphy last week, or actually on Thursday. The case basically took another turn last night when a second relative, a 16-year-old cousin, was arrested on one count of aggravated assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Newark Mayor Sharpe James said during questioning by the FBI, the teenager made certain statements that led to the arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR SHARPE JAMES, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: The reason the juvenile suspect was arrested is the details he provided in connection with the death of 7-year-old Faheem Williams, let to him being charged.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLBY: Now, the "New York Times" is reporting that the teenager that was arrested is actually Sherry Murphy's son. The body of Faheem Williams was found on Sunday in Murphy's basement. She had been entrusted with the care of the boys while their mother Melinda Williams was in jail on September child abuse charges. Two other brothers were discovered on Saturday staving and locked in a basement. They remain hospitalized, as does the boys' mother. She's in a New York City hospital following a car accident that she had on her way to see the boys, whom she said she couldn't find after she got out of jail and they were staying with Murphy.

Murphy was charged with three counts of child endangerment. She remains in jail. Her bail was revoked on Friday.

And meanwhile New Jersey's governor is demanding answers in this case that takes one tragic turn after another. He's looking for new reforms in the child welfare system, a system that actually lost track of these three boys. A caseworker who was in charge of supervising their care lost track of them and did not visit them for more than a year. According to the human services commissioner for New York, the case worker and a supervisor in the case have both been suspended. And startling news on Friday in a report that the human services commissioner has submitted to the governor, 280 other kids that were supposed to be in the Division of Youth and Family Services' care were also unaccounted for.

They found 170 of them so far, but 110 New Jersey kids, part of the child welfare system, remain unaccounted for -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Jamie, you know, you say Melinda Williams says that when she got out of jail, she couldn't find the children or Ms. Murphy. If they find out that that was not the case, is there -- it is possible she could be implicated in the death of her son, as well?

COLBY: Well, I'm not sure they would make that connection, but potentially she could face additional child abuse charges. She's hired a defense attorney in the last 24 hours because Sherry Murphy told police, according to the "Star Ledger," that she was, you know, blaming Melinda Williams, saying it wasn't her but it was the boy's mother. All unfounded at this point, unsubstantiated.

This case will be investigated and ongoing for quite some time -- Heidi.

COLLINS: I'm sure.

All right, Jamie Colby in New York, thank you.

COLBY: You're welcome.

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