TN - Michael & Shirley Gray, aggravated kidnap & child abuse, 2 children dead, Roane Co., May 2020

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MajorHoople

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Roane Co. Child Dies After Months Confined To Basement, Parents Charged (Video)

"Two Roane County adults are accused of multiple crimes after a three-day investigation led officers to find the skeletal remains of a child behind a home.

According to investigators, the couple's young daughter was confined to a basement for months and fed nothing but bread and water before she died. The child was then buried near a pole barn on the property, according to officials.

Michael Anthony Gray, Sr., 63, and Shirley Gray, 60, appeared in court for an arrangement Tuesday afternoon.

Michael Anthony Gray and Shirley Gray bought the home on the 1000 block of Drive Fort Valley Road in Roane County on June 13, 2016. The two moved into the home with their 4 children, a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, a 13-year-old girl, and a 10-year-old boy."
 
Roane Co. parents face aggravated kidnapping, child abuse charges after child's remains found on property

Michael Anthony Gray Sr., And Shirley Gray Face Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Kidnapping And Abuse Of A Corpse Charges (video and photos)

"Two Roane County parents are facing multiple charges after the remains of a child were found on their property.

The 9th District Attorney General’s Office said Michael Anthony Gray, Sr., 63, and Shirley Gray, 60, are in custody as part of an ongoing investigation involving multiple law agencies.

Investigators said in a Monday press conference they found skeletal remains on the Grays' property, which they believe to be one of the Grays' children.

The investigation, which began Friday, also involves the state Department of Children's Services.

In a Monday press release, the AG's Office said Michael Gray made a statement about burying a deceased daughter in the backyard of his residence, located on Dry Fork Valley Road.

District Attorney General Russell Johnson said the child had been dead "for awhile." Investigators found the remains early Saturday morning. The AG's office said additional charges are likely.

The AG's office said the Grays had three other minor children. They are not the children's biological parents, investigators said in the press conference."
 
MajorHoople said:
Roane Co. parents face aggravated kidnapping, child abuse charges after child's remains found on property

Michael Anthony Gray Sr., And Shirley Gray Face Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Kidnapping And Abuse Of A Corpse Charges (video and photos)

"Two Roane County parents are facing multiple charges after the remains of a child were found on their property.

The 9th District Attorney General’s Office said Michael Anthony Gray, Sr., 63, and Shirley Gray, 60, are in custody as part of an ongoing investigation involving multiple law agencies.

Investigators said in a Monday press conference they found skeletal remains on the Grays' property, which they believe to be one of the Grays' children.

The investigation, which began Friday, also involves the state Department of Children's Services.

In a Monday press release, the AG's Office said Michael Gray made a statement about burying a deceased daughter in the backyard of his residence, located on Dry Fork Valley Road.

District Attorney General Russell Johnson said the child had been dead "for awhile." Investigators found the remains early Saturday morning. The AG's office said additional charges are likely.

The AG's office said the Grays had three other minor children. They are not the children's biological parents, investigators said in the press conference."
Click to expand...
 
Another child abuse horror.
At least there will be hard evidence against the offenders when they come to trial.
Another sad, sad story. At least now this child is not hungry, hurting or scared any longer.
This won't stop until the world ends, IMO. Until the world ends. SMH.
Just dammit.
 
BecauseWeCan said:
The articles say they are not their biological children, but they did have custody. I wonder if they were relatives or foster parents or what?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, yes, something to ponder...
The ages of the two adults, and the age of the eldest child make it such that the adults could certainly be their grandparents (adults are 63 and 60; eldest child is 15), but apparently that's not the case if the couple is said not to have a biological link.
 
From article today on 105.7 News- I tried to upload but was only able to copy and paste.

A Roane County couple each face multiple crimes after skeletal remains believed to be those of their daughter were discovered buried in their backyard.

Officers say 63-year-old Michael Anthony Gray, Sr. and his wife, 60-year-old Shirley Ann Gray, were arrested Monday. Each face two counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping (holding minors against their will), three counts of aggravated child neglect and one count of abuse of a corpse.

The couple made their first appearance this afternoon in Roane County General Sessions Court.

The judge heard details of the charges based on the warrants filed against the couple.

Those alleged details are disturbing.

105.7 News obtained the lengthy warrants and here is what was revealed:

The investigation started Friday, May 22, 2020 when deputies with the Roane County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call stating a 10-year-old boy was found close to the Grays home on the 1200 block of Dryfork Valley Road in the Ten Mile community. The child said he didn’t know where his parents were or where he was. Deputies learned where the boy lived then took the child home and contacted the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS).

It was at the DCS office in Kingston that the minor made two shocking claims.

He told investigators his 15-year-old brother was locked in a basement and a deceased child was buried in the backyard.

Detectives went to the residence and spoke with Michael Anthony Gray, Sr. who allegedly admitted that his daughter died in 2017 and he buried her in the backyard. Gray Sr. also reportedly admitted that his 15-year-old son was in the basement. Authorities rescued the child from the basement.

The Grays purchased the home at 1275 Dryfork Valley Road in June 2016. The two moved into the home with their 4 children, a 10-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl.

Investigators say the 15-year-old boy was locked by the Grays in the basement for stealing fruit from the pantry a month after they moved in. Authorities say he had no contact with anyone outside of the basement until he was discovered by officers last Friday (May 22, 2020). Officers stated the 15-year-old male was given small amounts of food from time to time including white bread and water while in the basement.

The warrants state the Grays withheld food from all the children at times as a means of punishment.

In early 2017, officials said the 13-year-old daughter, who eventually died, was also confined to the unfinished basement as a punishment for stealing food. Within a few months, she passed away. During the search of the home, Michael Anthony Gray, Sr. showed investigators where she died. He reportedly kept the girl’s body in a cardboard box before she was buried in an area in and around farm animals. An excavation revealed her human remains early Saturday morning.

During the search of the home, authorities said Michael Anthony Gray, Sr. revealed a small concrete room built under the stairs where two of the children had been kept for punishment. The 2.9’ by 3.8’ room had no running water and no electricity. The warrants stated a bucket inside the small room was filled with human feces and urine and magazine pages nearby used for wiping. Prior to the small room being built, some of the children were kept in the unfinished basement locked up as punishment.

The warrants say the house was filled with a urine smell, human and animal feces throughout the home, on the walls and a bed. Officers say part of the basement was flooded with old trash scattered throughout, with no running water and exposed wires.

The children’s parents admitted that the children had not received medical or dental attention for at least “six years” prior to the investigation.

All children were signed up for homeschooling. An individual completed the required paperwork stating that all children were meeting all their home school assessments, despite the fact that one child was deceased and others were locked in the basement.

Officials said all the children appeared to be stunted in growth and no formal education.

The warrants state the surviving children were in fact amazed of what a refrigerator does when they observed one after taken to a temporary foster home.

In court this afternoon, an attorney requested the judge to consider no bond giving the serious nature of the charges and the fact that Michael Gray, Sr. previously lived at more than twenty residences. He is originally from out of state.

The judge set a half million dollar bond each for Michael Anthony Gray, Sr. and Shirley Gray.

Their next court appearance is scheduled for June 9, 2020.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected to be filed against the two.

District Attorney General Russell Johnson said they are awaiting an autopsy on the daughter’s remains.
 
This is local to me. They could have kept those kids in those conditions for their whole lives if they wanted - Ten Mile is the middle of nowhere, and no one would have ever known. Thankfully, that wasn't the case for the survivor's sake.

It appears that there will be more to this story. The investigation is continuing at the home of the Grays in the Halls community in north Knox county.
www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/search-at-knox-co-home-could-be-connected-to-horrific-child-abuse-case-in-roane-co/51-2bb99eab-4149-469f-87b4-abffe91ce6cf

ETA: Sorry, it is at the home of the Gray's son.
 
Mind your biscuits said:
Where did they get these kids from? Are they foster kids? A relatives? Did they steal them from someplace?
It's all a bit confusing, and now more digging. Yikes!
Click to expand...

In the article posted by LadyO #14 - it says:

Records show that the Grays did adopt 4 children in Knox County, one in 2007, one in 2008 & one in 2011. All those records are sealed. ...
 
Another article with more detail about the new site being investigated in the Halls community. Indicates that authorities came on the scene around 1:30 AM on Saturday, May 23. "Something" was placed in the coroner's van during that time, and the rest of the digging/taking items from the house was done later that day and next. I wonder why it was done in the middle of the night?

Coroner at Halls home linked to Roane Co. couple accused of burying daughter, neighbors say
 
article said:
Michael Anthony Gray Sr., 63, and Shirley Gray, 60, face child abuse, child neglect, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse charges after they admitted an 11-year-old girl in their care died and was buried in a barn on their property in Ten Mile.
Click to expand...

There is NO 11-year old - I saw another article mention the 13 year old girl as the victim. Correct?

Question - is this in Halls or a town called Ten Mile? TIA!
 
Niner said:
There is NO 11-year old - I saw another article mention the 13 year old girl as the victim. Correct?

Question - is this in Halls or a town called Ten Mile? TIA!
Click to expand...
There are two locations. One is the current home of the arrested parents. The other home is a former home of these parents that is now the home of an adult son. I don't know if they are classing the adult son as the 4th child, maybe. Trying to figure it out as I go along! Moo.
 
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