A North Carolina mother and grandmother are in jail, charged with abusing two young children. Emily Edwards, 25, and Sherrie Edwards, 54, allegedly abused a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old while residing at the same address in Catawba County. The women reportedly told police they didn't hurt the children; instead, they were injured by paranormal activity.
Police didn't buy the story, and both women were taken into custody by Newton police officers on August 16.
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The incident reportedly occurred in December.
The abuse allegations surfaced in December, according to court documents obtained by WSOC-TV. The women were said to have a "reckless disregard for life" and inflicted "serious bodily injury" on the two young children. During the course of the investigation, police reportedly found multiple injuries on the toddlers.
The indictment described agonizing injuries.
The two children were reportedly covered in bites and burns and had several broken bones, according to the indictment. When talking with police, the mother and grandmother allegedly said paranormal activity caused the injuries.
Newton Police Chief Vidal Sip told WSOC-TV the woman had a bizarre story.
"The basic response was nightmares. They heard the kids yelling and they'd go over there and see injuries on the kids," Sipe said. "And they said there were spirits in the house at the time that caused the injuries."
Sadly, the children also tested positive for drugs.
According to Sipe, the woman said they had a Ouija board they used to conjure up spirits, but the mother and grandmother never reported the injuries allegedly caused by the paranormal activity. The children also tested positive for fentanyl.
Neighbors were shocked by the news.
Next door neighbor Steven Katz told WSOC-TV everything seemed normal to him. "I said 'Hello' and they'd say, 'How are you doing.' They were friendly to me," he said.
Another neighbor thought the women's story was unbelievable, "I think that's crazy. I just think it's a cover-up," the person told the news station. "I don't believe there's any paranormal activity here."
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The women are both in jail.
Per online records, both Emily and Sherrie Edwards are being held in Catawba County Jail on $25,000 bonds. They were both charged with felony neglect and child abuse with serious bodily injury. Emily Edwards was expected to appear in court on August 19 and Sherrie Edwards has a court date of October 7. It is unclear whether either woman has entered a plea or obtained an attorney.
According to police, a third person may have been involved in the alleged abuse, but died earlier this year, WSOC-TV reported.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
