The community of Douglasville, Georgia, is reeling from a case of extreme neglect that has resulted in the tragic death of a 1-year-old child. Authorities have arrested and charged 37-year-old Sherry Magby following a harrowing sequence of events that exposed the unthinkable conditions six young siblings were forced to endure in their own home.

According to investigators with the Douglasville Police Department, the tragedy began when Magby allegedly abandoned her six children—all of whom are under the age of 10—leaving them entirely unsupervised for approximately 12 hours. The burden of care for the five youngest siblings, including the 1-year-old, fell upon the eldest child, who is only 10 years old.

The situation reached a breaking point when the children, desperate and unable to wake their youngest sibling, fled the home to seek help from a neighbor. The neighbors immediately contacted emergency services after hearing the children’s frantic reports that the baby would not wake up.

“Complete Disarray”: A Home Defined by Filth and Hunger

When officers arrived at the residence, they were met with a scene that they described as being in “complete disarray.” The air inside the home was reportedly thick with a strong, foul odor, and the living conditions were deemed biologically unsafe and uninhabitable for human life.

Perhaps most chilling were the details regarding the children’s desperation for sustenance. Police reports indicate there was little to no food available in the house. In a heartbreaking statement to investigators, one of the older children revealed that the 1-year-old had resorted to eating ants and cockroaches in an attempt to stave off the pangs of hunger.

Tragically, the 1-year-old was pronounced dead inside the home. While the official cause of death is pending an autopsy, the physical and mental toll of the environment on the surviving five children was immediate and severe.

A History of Violence: Sherry Magby’s Legal Record

This is not Sherry Magby’s first encounter with the law regarding the safety of her children. At the time of this latest arrest, Magby had a pending case from 2023 involving a violent altercation with her son. In that incident, she allegedly threw a pocket knife at the boy as he attempted to run away from her, resulting in a laceration to his back.

Despite these previous allegations of child endangerment and physical assault, Magby remained the primary caregiver for the six children until the fatal events of this week.

Legal Charges and Ongoing Protection

Following the death of the toddler and the rescue of the other siblings, Sherry Magby was taken into custody and faces multiple severe felonies. She has been charged with:

• Six counts of second-degree child cruelty: Specifically for causing “cruel” mental and physical pain through neglect and abandonment.

The surviving five children have been removed from the home and placed into the protective custody of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS). They are currently receiving medical evaluations and psychological support to address the trauma of their abandonment and the loss of their sibling.

Summary of the Douglasville Child Neglect Case

The Douglasville Police Department continues to investigate the timeline of Magby’s absence and the specific medical factors that led to the 1-year-old’s death. This case has sparked intense conversation regarding the efficacy of child welfare monitoring for parents with a documented history of violence toward their children. Further details are expected as the 2023 case and current charges move through the Douglas County court system.