A South Carolina mother was arrested Tuesday after police responded to the death of the woman’s baby and found her other children living in feces and trash inside their home, authorities said.
Deputies first discovered Ashley Nicole Heyward McPherson’s home in Timmonsville “was not suitable for living” on Oct. 15 when they responded to the death of her 7-month-old infant, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office said. It was unclear how the baby died.
Investigators said animal feces was found piled in the bathtub and toilet. An “immense” amount of trash littered the rest of the house, including the bedrooms, kitchen and living room.
Police did not indicate how many children lived in the home, nor their ages.
The 27-year-old McPherson had been living in the home for several months, the sheriff’s office said. Her children were placed into protective custody.
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McPherson was charged with six counts of unlawful neglect of a child. She was being held at the Florence County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.
The investigation into the death of the 7-month-old child is ongoing, police said. Officials had ordered an autopsy to be conducted.