A Utah mother who is a trained nurse told police she felt 'no guilt' after her 18-month-old daughter was found dead in a crib littered with rubbish and old food. Carrie Marie Murray and her husband, Mitchell Chesnut Murray, both 31, have been charged with aggravated murder and aggravated child abuse over the death of Ruby Marie Murray.
According to court documents, Carrie Murray called 911 on March 19 after discovering Ruby unresponsive but refused to perform lifesaving measures, despite being a nurse. She told dispatchers she believed the child was beyond help. When questioned, she suggested Ruby may have died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, though she admitted the child was 'older than typical for a SIDS death', adding, 'It was her time, I guess.'
Police who reviewed baby monitor footage described appalling conditions in Ruby's crib. It contained several sippy cups, a large amount of waffle pieces, and old food stuck to the bedding. Beneath the mattress, layers of rubbish and wrappers were found. The room was kept at around 77 degrees Fahrenheit, but Ruby's body temperature was just 83 degrees, putting her at risk of hypothermia.
Investigators were told that Ruby was fed roughly three times a day, mostly toasted waffles left in her crib, and had only eaten proper baby food once or twice. Loud rock and pop music, including tracks by Green Day and Fall Out Boy, was played constantly in her room, which the parents admitted 'appeared to interfere with her ability to sleep'.
On the day before her death, Ruby was never removed from her crib. Mitchell Murray was seen placing a sippy cup and a waffle into the cot twice, but the total time either parent or a sibling spent engaging with Ruby that day was just 49 seconds. Mitchell told police it was routine for Ruby to have 'crib days', where she remained in the cot for full days while he worked, happening once or twice a week.
Over the four days leading up to her death, Ruby spent only six hours out of the crib and was in the presence of another person for less than 50 minutes in total. Her nappy was not changed at all on the day before she died. The cause of death was determined to be dehydration and undernutrition. The couple remain in custody without bond.
