Four Kids' Bodies Found In Washington D.C.

The Youths, Apparently Between The Ages Of 5 And 18, Had Been Dead At Least Two Weeks

(AP)  U.S. Marshals delivering an eviction notice Wednesday found the decomposing bodies of four youths, probably female and ranging in age from 5 to 18, inside a home in one of this city's poorest areas, authorities said.

A woman who answered the door at the small, two-story brick apartment building where the bodies were found was taken into police custody for questioning, authorities said.

"She was apparently calm throughout," U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Cole Barnhart said.

Authorities were investigating the causes of death. District of Columbia Police Chief Cathy Lanier said it was unclear how long the youths had been dead, but she added, "I'd say more than several days."

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said he was told by the medical examiner that the youths had been dead at least two weeks.

The bodies were found upstairs in the southeast Washington apartment, part of a block of virtually identical apartment houses near Bolling Air Force Base.

Larry Jones, who lives next door, said a woman and two or three children live at the home but that he had not seen them since the summer. He said the children appeared healthy at the time.

Jones added that in recent months he has noticed a "strange odor" coming through his vent.

"We thought it was probably dead mice in the vent or something," he said, adding that he had talked to the landlord about it.

Investigators were trying to determine if the woman at the home was related to the four, Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes said. The woman's name and those of the dead youths have not been released.

D.C. Council member Marion Barry, who represents the neighborhood where the bodies were found, questioned why no one had reported the four missing.

"Somebody should have known that some people were not in school," said Barry, the former mayor.

D.C. schools spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said none of the children was currently enrolled in the school system. One had attended Stuart-Hobson Elementary School but withdrew in 2006 as a fifth-grader, she said.

Area resident Rowand Simpkins said her neighbors tend to keep to themselves and that she never saw the woman or children.

"It's really a mystery," she said of the youths' deaths. "It's a sad situation."

[jennmarie620]

Anyone antie death penality now???

Posted by crzmeat at 09:51 PM : Jan 09, 2008

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I am anti-death penalty. "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." Do some research - countries that have abolished the death penalty actually saw a DECREASE in their violent crimes in the years following. So have the states in the US that have abolished the death penalty. Killing a person for murdering someone does not stop the next person from killing. Want real justice? Put them in prison for life and make them do something useful while they''re prisoners. (After taking away cable TV, internet access, free college education, and weight rooms.)

As far as this story goes, no one knows if the woman they took into custody was relate to these children at all - so please stop assuming that she''s involved somehow. The neighbor interviewed for the story said there was a mother with THREE children. For all anyone knows at this point, one of the four bodies was the mother of the three children.

And why jump the gun and assume she killed them? Wait for the facts to be discovered. Innocent until PROVEN guilty.

Gosh, this country is quickly abandoning all of the principles on which it was founded.

[michellem99-2009]

My room mate''s aunt rewrote the crime bill for DC and she lives there. That is the truth. She did away with the death penaity. She was chief judge there on superior court before she retired. She heard rape/killing cases. It is no wonder this nation has the largest prisom lock ups in the world. It is true. Keithle1 must live there or in a big city. I agree with him on there oaught be fixed. Them docs are the problem they won''t fix them so they can''t breed. crzmeat amen..

[keithle1]

More women need to be sterilized. Or men. Whatever. Stupid people are breeding faster than rats. Don''t want to be a mother or father, don''t have kids. How tough is that? Birth control. Condoms. Heard of those?

[keithle1]

Come to Washington, D.C. & learn about the city government. It''s awful. Tons of horror stories. From A to Z. They''re clueless & corrupt. Just had a big scandal in the DC Gov''s Tax office where some employees were stealing large sums of money through fraud.

[keithle1]

Back in the day, they voted for former Mayor Marion Barry like he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by joesrc1 at 09:55 PM : Jan 09, 2008
+ report abuse

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you need god to deal with this??? you dont need a god what you need is a butler..

[libsluvsuvs]

This is what all these years of compassionate conservs have brought the country?

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:43 PM : Jan 09, 2008
+ report abuse

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washington dc..its poorest black community is FAR FROM CONSERVATIVE..its more liberal and 100% democrat. the mother more likely lived like a typical reckless liberal and is ''untouchable'' because of the democrats..

[smonewhocrs]

where was child protective services? They are designed to protect kids of all backgrounds. Even The City''s poorest. I didn''t read she must be a crack mother for sure, or Never a dull moment in DC''s Black neighborhoods. what is that. Were talking about Children. not race, drugs, income, background. the last child to go to school was in 2006 over a yr. ago. CPS is failing our nation. Our gov.needs to do a complete overhaul. The rules and regulations they have set in motion now just arn''t working look around. How many more children have to die, before something changes.

[concerned949]

Hey everyone. I am connected to this case in a way, and it''s no laughing matter. These kids had dissappeared for months and no one seemed to care???? How can this woman live in a home with 4 dead bodies???? I was the first one this morning to say I would hop on a plane to DC make sure my tax dollars aren''t paying for this sick lady''s defense or housing. She was losing her house, so instead of moving on, she decided to kill her kids? She should have killed herself and saved us all some money. What a shame! And you have to remember that this was all just found out today - I have heard that the kids were from 2-17. I don''t think anyone knows the answers at this point.

[rushlimpdrug]

This is what all these years of compassionate conservs have brought the country?