Mother And Grandmother Blame Ghosts, Paranormal Activity For Abusing Their Toddlers And Fentanyl Exposure
A family in North Carolina went on record blaming an evil entity for some serious child endangerment charges.
A mother and grandmother are behind bars after they told law enforcement that the severe injuries and trauma which were present on two toddlers in their care were caused by "evil ghosts" or some kind of "paranormal activity."
According to 'Law & Crime,' Emily Marie Edwards and her mother, Sherrie Jean Edwards, are accused of causing serious bodily harm to the children, per Catawba County Jail records.
Emily, 25, and Sherrie, 54, were arrested by the Newton Police Department last week following their indictment in December 2023 due to allegations made against them. Police also alleged a third adult male was responsible for abuse — however, he died last year.
‘They heard the kids yelling’: Mother and grandmother allegedly blame paranormal activity for toddlers’ severe child abuse and fentanyl exposure https://t.co/EShJB5rd5Z
— Law & Crime (@lawcrimenews) August 21, 2024
A neighbor who spoke with 'WSOC' doesn't buy the "haunted apartment" given by the two family members. "I think that's crazy," the unnamed neighbor stated, per the news outlet. "I don't believe there's any paranormal activity here."
Paperwork related to their indictment obtained by 'WSOC' alleged that the women showed an evident "reckless disregard for life" and inflicted "serious bodily injury" on the two young children in question.
Per authorities, the children — one child just 1 years old and the other a year older— suffered burns, bite marks, and broken bones. They also tested positive for the presence of the drug fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid often mixed with other harmful substances — and is considered 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, per the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
"The basic response, really, was nightmares," Newton Police Chief Vidal Sipe told 'WSOC.' "They heard the kids yelling and they'd go over there and they'd see injuries on the kids. So, they're saying there's spirits that were in the house at the time that caused these injuries."
Not only did the adults blame evil spirits, they also reported that they used a Ouija board — a popular witchcraft toy which pretends to produce automatic writing in order to summon spirits. Both the mother and daughter are currently being detained on a $250,000 bond.
Emily has reportedly already appeared in court and doesn't currently have another date scheduled. Sherrie is expected to show up in court October 7.
