In a harrowing case from Utah, a couple has been accused of leaving their 18-month-old daughter largely unattended in her crib for four days, leading to her tragic death from malnutrition and dehydration.
Mitchell Chestnut Murray and Carrie Marie Murray, both aged 31, were taken into custody under suspicions of aggravated murder and aggravated child abuse, as reported by KSL. This shocking case has sparked outrage and concern over the welfare of children in similar situations.
Despite the severe circumstances, Carrie Murray allegedly suggested that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) might be the cause of her daughter’s death, even acknowledging that Ruby was “older than typical for a SIDS death,” according to Law&Crime. Her reported comments, “It was her time I guess,” and her statement of feeling “no guilt over this,” have left many in disbelief and anger.
The incident unfolded on March 19, when Carrie Murray dialed 911, reporting that she found her daughter, Ruby Marie Murray, lifeless in her crib. As detailed by KSL, dispatchers urged her to perform life-saving measures, but she dismissed these efforts.
According to an affidavit, Carrie Murray, who identified herself as a nurse, informed dispatch that she believed her child was beyond help. This revelation has intensified the scrutiny on the parents’ actions and decisions leading up to the toddler’s death. The case continues to develop as authorities delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.
“Carrie informed dispatch that she was a nurse and she believed the child to be beyond help,” an affidavit says.
Paramedics who arrived on the scene said they believed rigor mortis had already set in.
As Cache County investigators looked into the situation, they found surveillance cameras that showed the child in a bedroom with a space heater running, set at 68 degrees. The girl was out of the crib in the last four days of her life for around six hours.
“The total time another human being was identified as being present with the child was 49 minutes and 15 seconds,” the sheriff’s office said.
Over 96 hours, the child’s diaper was changed just six times.
“The interior of the crib was very dirty with old pieces of food. Underneath the mattress was trash, wrappers and … waffle particles,” the affidavit said.
Carrie Murray told detectives that she last saw her daughter two days before her death. She didn’t see her the day before, she said, because she was working.
“Carrie was asked by investigators about (Ruby’s) food and water intake and were informed (Ruby) was provided a sippy cup in the morning and the evening. Carrie also informed investigators that (Ruby) was usually fed waffles for all of her meals and she typically ate them in her crib because they are not table people and (Ruby) never liked someone to feed her,” the affidavit said.
Murray also told investigators she hadn’t looked at the baby monitor in Ruby’s room in months and couldn’t describe her daily routine with her four year old son.
The baby’s father said he works from home and is often playing games on his computer when he’s not working.
Investigators say Ruby was out of her crib for five minutes for two diaper changes on March 17 and was never out of the crib on the day before her death. Her diaper was never changed that day.
The arrest affidavit said that the Murrays showed “a depraved indifference to human life, and knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death” to the little girl, “thereby causing her death by failing to provide her with the appropriate nutrition and hydration leading to her death from dehydration and undernutrition.”
