MA - Remains of 3 infants found, Erika Murray charged, Blackstone, Sept 2014

[Jewels53]

Thank you SO much for posting all the tweets. It's so frustrating that this case is getting NO exposure. How could the WORLD not want to know about this? There are so many teachable moments, especially for women who feel trapped or scared about unplanned pregnancy, abuse, neglect, etc. Infuriating!

The thing is after it happened once why didn't she seek out help. It is beyond me how Ray had no clue as to what was going on in that house. Now I see why it is tagged #HouseOf Horrors!

 

[SaucyGal]

The thing is after it happened once why didn't she seek out help. It is beyond me how Ray had no clue as to what was going on in that house. Now I see why it is tagged #HouseOf Horrors!

Exactly! What she did was hope they wouldn't survive. She is a true psychopath if you ask me. How do you not even remember what sex they were or that you forgot they were even there?!

She said she had no health insurance regarding abortion. Um, what about birth control of ANY kind? Abstinence? Blackstone has a health dept for free or low cost care/preventives! She's not an ignorant woman. I don't buy any of this crap. I hope this judge buries her in prison sentences.

 

[StarrChance]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Murray says she thinks she gave birth in the bathroom, the only bathroom in the home. Murphy: “what did you do with the placenta and stuff?” Murray: “We just got rid of that, threw it in the trash” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Murray is still nervously laughing throughout, she finally says Ray “didn’t know” she had the babies. Murphy presses how he couldn’t know since babies cry: “is Ray deaf?” Murray: no @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Murray had originally said all 4 kids were on Ray’s insurance and listed as dependents on his taxes. She is effortlessly contradicting herself in this recorded police interview. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Hard to know up from down as she is just all over the place but the “we just got rid of that” comment stood out. I do wonder if she is afraid of Ray and will go to any length to cover for his part in this horrific case.

 

[Jewels53]

On Sept. 11, 2014, Massachusetts State Police Det. Shawn Murphy re-entered a Northbridge Police Department interview room and read Erika Murray her Miranda rights for a second time.

Two weeks earlier, the state’s Department of Children and Families had taken custody of her four children after police found two filth-covered infants in the upstairs bedrooms of her Blackstone home. State Police detectives had returned with a search warrant, looking for documents to prove the children’s identities.

They found something much worse.

“We went into an upstairs closet and we found some skeletal remains up there," Murphy said, in a recording played in court on the fourth day of Murray’s child murder trial.

Murray let out an unintelligible noise, something between a brief laugh and a sob.

‘It just wasn’t born alive;’ Recording of Erika Murray’s interrogation shows how her denial of dead babies quickly crumbled

 

[Jewels53]

Erika Murray reduced to tears by pictures of babies' remains

Erika Murray concealed two births from their father

'I panicked:' Judge hears interview with 'House of Horrors' mother

 

[tmar]

Thank you SO much for posting all the tweets. It's so frustrating that this case is getting NO exposure. How could the WORLD not want to know about this? There are so many teachable moments, especially for women who feel trapped or scared about unplanned pregnancy, abuse, neglect, etc. Infuriating!

Just found this horrid case.
Unbelievable.

Hope it receives more publicity.

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
We are taking a defense witness out of order - Dr. Amos Grunebaum, a specialist in maternal fetal medicine. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says he’s done extensive research on the outcomes of home birth vs. hospital birth, as the director of obstetrics and chief of delivery at Cornell. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum explains a home birth without a midwife is categorized as “an unassisted home birth” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors


(Sorry I am late posting the tweets)

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says his hospitals probably deal with 80-150 still born babies a year, out of roughly 8,000 @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum explains “fetal death” is the death of a fetus before it has been born, says its the same is stillborn. He says “neonatal death” is the death of an infant within 28 days of birth. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says he was asked to examine Erika Murray’s case for this trial. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum: “with a home birth there’s an increased risk of a stillbirth...there’s an increased risk of neonatal death, especially in the first week.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum: “when a woman labors at home, it’s not monitored as closely as in the hospital...that has been shown statistically to increase the risk of stillbirth.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum: “At a home birth you’re more likely to miss signs of fetal distress.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says his studies show “unassisted home birth” sees an increase of stillborn babies 10 times that of in the hospital. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum’s testimony is important to the defense because Murray says she gave birth to 5 of her 7 babies at home. 2 of those home birth children were found alive, 3 were found dead in the home. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says of Murray: “She was unsupervised...the delivery was under unusual circumstances, which increases stress obviously” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum testifies that stress can have serious complications for a pregnancy & birth. He says Murray would be at the “extreme level” of unassisted, stressful deliveries. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says a baby born at home has a higher risk of congenital malformations, not getting enough oxygen, infections @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum explains Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse or SUPC is when an otherwise healthy newborn suddenly dies in the first week of life, with no warning signs & no specific cause. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says “when a baby is stillborn we ask whether a mother wants to hold the baby, whether the mother wants to dress the baby” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says this has been very helpful for some parents in their healing process. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum says statistically if a mother has had a bad outcome in the past, she is more likely to have a bad outcome in the future. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Defense is done with direct questioning of Dr. Grunebaum. Prosecution begins cross examination. Again this witness is being taken out of order for scheduling purposes. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecution: the risk of home birth also includes neurological abnormalities, correct? Dr. Grunebaum: yes...it can also lead to cerebral palsy or mental retardation @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor: the risk of home birth also includes environment correct? Dr. Grunebaum: it can Prosecutor: a bathroom floor? Dr. Grunebaum: it depends on the floor @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum agrees using unsterilized scissors could increase the risk of infection. Murray admitted in police interviews she used scissors from her house to cut the umbilical cord. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum admits under cross examination that he didn’t examine Murray or any of her children, and wasn’t there during their births. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Grunebaum admits under cross that the Murray home was “filthy” - had fecal matter, piles of soiled diapers, infested with fleas, maggots and flies. He says “viruses and bacteria” can be transmitted in a home like Murray’s. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor is done with cross. Defense has a quick follow up before Dr. Grunebaum is excused. We are in recess until 2pm. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Back from the lunch break, Dr. Heather Forkey is the next witness. She’s a UMass Medical doctor who examined the 3yo & 5 month old girls found neglected and covered in filth in Murray’s home. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey examined the girls with Dr. Peter Sell, who previously testified. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey says they were contacted by DCF - “they were concerned the children needed medical evaluations” - they saw the girls right away @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: “She didn’t present the way a normal 3yo would present...she would fold herself up” when scared or nervous @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Murray has had little reaction today as two doctors have taken the stand. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey on the 3yo: “She shut herself down, she closed her body up” in an unusual way...”she made some crying noises but they were very quiet” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: “Kids who are exposed to constant threat...become as small as possible...it’s profoundly a demonstration of that response...in a normally developing 3yo we shouldn’t be seeing this” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: “her muscles felt like dough...hadn’t been used...she had a diaper rash that was significant with what we call satellite lesions.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: “when she would sit she would curl her legs into the fetal position...what we would expect to see of someone in utero” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey says the 3yo has osteopenic bones...”she wasn’t using those limbs to hold weight or to walk or to move” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: “We were very concerned this was a child who had experienced a profound amount of neglect” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: “She was shutting herself down in fear” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey says as a good comparison Cookie Monster is modeled after typical 3yo behavior. Murray’s 3yo girl should have been able to say things like “me want cookie” - instead she grunted @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey on the 3yo: “We were so concerned about this patient we wanted her admitted to the hospital right away” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey says the girl’s behavior and presentation could not be explained by autism alone, said “severe neglect” was likely present @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

 

[Jewels53]

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey testifies the girl’s exposure to fecal matter could have caused many physical/infection problems @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey says the girl had low vitamin D, “concerning for her ability to grow and develop her bones...she wasn’t getting the nutrition she needed...not getting enough sunlight” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. Forkey: An ear, nose and throat specialist had to be called in to remove her ear wax, “they found a maggot in the wax as well.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors