A Cache County couple, Mitchell and Carrie Murray of Nibler, has been sentenced to prison terms following the death of their 18-month-old daughter, a case in which investigators uncovered a severe pattern of neglect.
Both parents pleaded guilty earlier this summer to charges of child abuse homicide and aggravated child abuse. Their sentencing includes terms of not less than one year and no more than 15 years for each charge, which have been ordered to run consecutively.
The couple's arrests took place last December, several months after their daughter was found dead inside her crib in March. According to information released during the investigation, Carrie Murray called first responders to the family home on March 19, reporting that she had found the couple's daughter deceased in her crib.
Carrie Murray told authorities that she and her husband had last seen their daughter approximately 16 hours before she was found, and that Mitchell Murray had been the last person to check on the girl. When first responders arrived, the 18-month-old was wearing long-sleeved, footed pajamas and a sleep sack.
Investigators examining the scene noted that the child's crib was littered with old pieces of food and several child cups. A further search underneath the mattress revealed additional debris, including trash, wrappers, and large pieces of waffles.
Regarding the child's food and water intake, Carrie Murray informed officials that her daughter was given a sippy cup in the morning and again in the evening. She also stated that the girl ate waffles for all her meals. Carrie Murray claimed that the child only ate inside the crib because the family was not "table people."
Detectives utilized a baby monitor as part of their investigation, learning that the girl had been outside her crib for just over six hours during the previous four days. The monitor data also indicated that the child had spent only 49 minutes with another human being during that same four-day period.
Mitchell Murray told police that he worked from home. He explained that while he was working, his daughter would have what he referred to as "crib days." On these days, Mitchell Murray stated, the girl would spend the entire day inside her crib and would only be checked by her father two or three times throughout the day. The consecutive prison sentences underscore the severity of the neglect found by investigators in this tragic Cache County case.