A news report says the mother
of four children who authorities say were fatally stabbed in a suburban Memphis apartment complex has been charged in their deaths.
Citing a charging document, The
Commercial Appeal reports that the woman has been charged with four counts of first degree murder associated with aggravated child abuse, four counts of
first degree murder in association with aggravated child neglect, and four
counts each of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect or
endangerment
.
Deputies were called to the
complex in unincorporated Shelby County shortly before 1 p.m. Friday. They took
the mother into custody after finding the children's bodies. Officials have not
released the ages of the children, but sheriff's office spokesman Earle Farrell
said deputies responding to the scene called them "babies."
Authorities are planning a news
conference later Saturday morning to update the public.
Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham said Friday that investigators did not know if she had mental health
issues.
"This is an egregious act
of evil that has shocked us to our core," Oldham said. "I will never
understand how anyone can do this."
Oldham said the district
attorney general's special victims' unit has been called in and Shelby County
Mayor Mark Luttrell has promised all resources necessary for the investigation.
"One of the most difficult
questions in any investigation is always, 'Why did this happen?'" the
sheriff said.
County Commissioner Mark Billingsley also said the county would work to help the family of the children
recover.
"It's just a very sad
day," he said. "It's really beyond words, quite frankly."
Neighbour Sean Ahearn said he
didn't know the family by name, but that he often saw the children, who all
appeared to be under age 6, playing in the front yard. They liked to pet his
dog when he was taking it for a walk, he said.
"From what I saw, they
were very open and friendly kids," he said. "You never imagine that
this kind of thing could happen."
The apartment where the
stabbing occurred is in a gated community with a golf course called The Greens
at Irene. On Friday afternoon, deputies were standing at the gate house
questioning motorists as they drove into the neighbourhood.
Resident Patricia Johnson spoke
with reporters from her car. She said she wasn't allowed to leave for two hours
as deputies investigated the scene.
She has a child, and said she
burst into tears when she heard about the killings.
"I can't fathom
that," she said. "What would babies do to make you do that?"
The state Department of Children's Service has offered its assistance to local law enforcement, but has
no record of interaction with the slain children, said spokesman Rob Johnson.
"We've done an exhaustive
search and we are not aware of any contact with this family," he said.
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