Children babysitting their younger siblings is common in many families and can be a perfectly reasonable resource. It’s important to be sure we’re not putting too much pressure on our older kids and that they’re fully prepared for the time when we’re away. Kids aren’t parents, however, and we can’t expect them to take on all of those responsibilities as if they are. Someone probably needs to share that with Georgia mom Sherry Magby. The 37-year-old allegedly left six children 10 and younger in a filthy home with nothing to eat aside from the roaches crawling on the floor. One of the children died, leaving neighbors heartbroken about a situation they could have helped.
Magby allegedly left the children alone for hours.
According to court documents obtained by Law & Crime, officers from the Douglasville Police Department responded to Magby’s home in the 6000 block of James D. Simpson Avenue on March 28, 2026. Inside, they found children ages 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 under the direct supervision of a 10-year-old child.
“Upon entering the residence, officers immediately detected a strong, foul odor consistent with unsanitary living conditions,” police noted, per Law & Crime. “The residence was further observed to be in a state of significant disorder, with every room in disarray.”
Siblings reportedly watched the 1-year-old child eat bugs from the floor.
@kourtwithkeshia #SherryMagby #DouglasvilleGA #HomeAlone #ChildCruelty #Investigation ♬ original sound – KourtWithKeshia
The 10-year-old reportedly told police they did not have adequate food in the house, and the officer noted the 1-year-old resorted to eating roaches and ants “due to the lack of proper nourishment.” The Douglas County Sentinel reported that the 1-year-old child later died.
A Georgia Department of Human Services spokesperson confirmed the news to Atlanta News First.
“We are devastated over the loss of this child and extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones. We will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation,” the spokesperson shared in a statement.
Magby had a previous child abuse charge.
Per WSB-TV, a court scheduled Magby’s trial for May 2023 on aggravated child abuse charges. In that case, she allegedly stabbed one of her children in the back with a pocketknife. It’s not clear what Magby’s relationship is to any of the children, but it appears she’s the mother to at least some of them. She remains in custody without bond as the investigation continues.
The news broke one neighbor’s heart.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox 5 she’d noticed strange things at the house in the past.
“At one time, I told my husband we might need to do a welfare check because he came home like 12 o’clock one night and the kids was outside playing. She wasn’t there,” the neighbor said.
She added that in hindsight, she would have acted differently had she known how dire the situation really was.
“If I knew they didn’t have food to eat, I would have fed them. I would’ve fed them,” she told Fox 5. “It’s just sad, you know, that kids that small have to live like that. Reach out to somebody, go to a neighbor.”
Ken Howell, who runs Community Outreach not far from the family’s home, told WSB-TV that he would have gladly helped the family.
“All they had to do was come down here. We could have helped them get food,” he said. “I just don’t understand how that could be that close and knowing we’re right here.”
Can you imagine eating bugs off the floor just to survive? That poor baby had no choice and still wound up dead. It’s a tragedy in every sense of the word.
