(WHDH) — The parents of three children are facing criminal charges in the death of one of their kids, as well as two others who were malnourished and severely neglected to the point where they could not walk or speak, officials said.
Ashley Marie Ferguson, 33, of Florida, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and two counts of neglect of a child, while 34-year-old Matthew Ferguson has been charged with three counts of neglect of a child, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives launched an investigation in July 2020 after Ashley called the authorities to report that she had found one of her children unresponsive in a bedroom, the sheriff’s office said. The child was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other children found at the home were said to be malnourished, not given adequate medical care, and left unattended for long periods of time.
The investigation revealed that the children had bedsores, diaper rash, and badly matted hair, according to detectives. They were also unable to walk or bear any weight on their legs, and were also unable to speak.
Ashley allegedly admitted that her kids’ primary source of food was milk, in addition to lying to Matthew about their medical appointments.
Both surviving children received immediate medical care, including oral surgery, speech therapy, and feeding therapy. They have since been placed in the care of a family member.
An autopsy determined the other child’s cause of death was homicide by chronic child neglect.
The couple was arrested last week and booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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