Additional Coverage:
- Baby dies after he’s ‘left in cockroach-infested house of horrors without food for 12 hours’ (themirror.com)
A Georgia woman has been taken into custody following the death of a 1-year-old child after leaving six young children alone for approximately 12 hours in a roach-infested home, according to authorities. The Douglasville Police Department reported that the infant was found resorting to “eating cockroaches” due to extreme hunger.
Sherry Diane Magby, 37, faces six counts of cruelty to children. Officers responded to a residence on James D.
Simpson Avenue on March 28, where they discovered children aged 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 left under the supervision of a 10-year-old. Upon arrival, deputies noted a strong foul odor and significant disarray throughout the home, which was described as unsanitary and in severe disorder.
The oldest child informed officers that food supplies in the home were scarce and that the youngest child was seen eating insects because of the lack of nourishment. Magby is accused of abandoning the children in these conditions for about half a day. Her exact relationship to the children has not been clarified.
The 1-year-old was pronounced dead by the Douglas County Coroner’s Office; however, the official cause of death has not yet been disclosed. A spokesperson from the Georgia Department of Human Services expressed deep sorrow over the loss and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
Magby is currently being held without bond at the Douglas County Jail and may face additional charges as the case develops. Neighbors expressed shock at the situation, noting they were unaware the children were suffering from neglect. One neighbor told local media, “It breaks my heart because if I knew that they weren’t getting food, I would have fed them.”
Community outreach leader Ken Howell criticized Magby, suggesting that help was available at the local community center and the children could have been brought there for assistance.
This is not Magby’s first run-in with the law concerning child welfare. In 2023, she was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and cruelty to children after allegedly stabbing a child with a pocket knife. She was released on bond and was scheduled to appear in court next month prior to this recent arrest.