Background: The home where Carrie Murray and Mitchell Murray allegedly killed their daughter, Ruby Marie Murray, in Nibley, Utah (Google Maps). Inset: Ruby Marie Murray (Gillies Mortuary).
A couple from Utah is facing charges for the alleged murder of their daughter, accused of leaving the infant alone for extended periods. The child was reportedly kept in a crib surrounded by garbage and old food, leading to her decline.
Carrie Marie Murray and Mitchell Chesnut Murray, both aged 31, were apprehended on Wednesday following the death of their 18-month-old daughter, Ruby Marie Murray. The charges against them include aggravated murder and aggravated child abuse.
Documents reviewed by Law&Crime indicate that Carrie Murray found her daughter lifeless in her crib at approximately 10:30 a.m. on March 19.
Despite calling 911, Carrie Murray, a registered nurse, allegedly refused to attempt resuscitation efforts.
The probable cause statement for Carrie Murray notes, “Carrie informed Dispatch that she was a nurse and believed the child was beyond help.”
During police questioning, the mother reportedly showed a lack of concern, suggesting that her “biggest guess” was that her daughter succumbed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, she conceded that Ruby was “older than typical for a SIDS death,” according to police reports.
“It was her time I guess,” Carrie Murray allegedly told police. She also reportedly said that she bore no responsibility for her daughter”s demise.
“I feel guilt really strong — I feel no guilt over this,” she allegedly told investigators.
According to investigators who reviewed baby monitor footage, Ruby’s living conditions were practically abysmal.
“[I]n the crib were several sippy cups and a large amount of pieces of Eggo-style waffle,” the statement said. “The interior of the crib was very dirty with old pieces of food. Underneath the mattress was trash, wrappers, and more waffle particles.”
Police noted that the room appeared to be kept at a temperature warmer than other parts of the house — 77 degrees — but that Ruby’s body temperature was only 83 degrees, putting her at risk of hypothermia.
The parents acknowledged that they constantly played “loud rock/pop music” in Ruby’s room by bands such as Green Day and Fall Out Boy that “appeared to interfere with her ability to sleep at times.” They allegedly told investigators that Ruby was fed around three times per day, with occasional snacks, but that she had only eaten actual baby food once or twice, and most of the time she was given nothing but toasted waffles.
The baby was also apparently left alone for hours on end.
“Review of the footage showed that [Ruby] was never removed from her crib on 3/18/2025,” the probable cause statement said. “Mitchell placed a sippy cup and a waffle in the crib with [Ruby] at 1157 hours and again at 1829 hours. The total interaction Carrie, Mitchell, and L.M. had with [Ruby] on 3/18/2025 was 49 seconds.”
“L.M.” was identified in the statement as Carrie Murray’s 4-year-old child.
Mitchell Murray reportedly told investigators that it was routine for Ruby to have what he called “crib days,” or “days where [Ruby] remained in her crib all day while he worked.” This allegedly happened once or twice a week.
Over the course of the four days prior to her death, investigators said the baby was outside of the crib for a total of six hours, and was only with another person in the room for less than 50 minutes. The statement noted that Ruby’s diaper was not changed during the entire day before she died, and it was only changed six times during those four days.
Ruby was ultimately deemed to have died from “dehydration and undernutrition,” with the parents “unreasonably subjecting [Ruby] to excessive heat, darkness, solitary confinement, or sleep deprivation.”
Jail officials told Law&Crime on Thursday that the Murrays were being held without bond.
