Inset: Sherry Magby (Douglas County Jail). Background: The home in Douglasville, Georgia, where Magby allegedly left 6 kids alone for 12 hours (WSB/YouTube).
A 1-year-old is dead and a 37-year-old woman is behind bars after she left him and five other kids alone at a Georgia home for 12 hours without any food, cops say.
Sherry Diane Magby is facing six counts of cruelty to children, according to cops. Arrest warrants reviewed by Law&Crime say officers from the Douglasville Police Department responded on March 28 to a home in the 6000 block of James D. Simpson Avenue. Cops say they found children ages 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 all under the supervision of a 10-year-old.
"Upon entering the residence, officers immediately detected a strong, foul odor consistent with unsanitary living conditions," cops wrote. "The residence was further observed to be in a state of significant disorder, with every room in disarray."
The 10-year-old told cops there was not enough food in the home. He also saw the 1-year-old eating roaches and ants "due to the lack of proper nourishment," the affidavit stated. Magby allegedly left the kids alone for about 12 hours. The warrants do not detail the relationship between Magby and the children.
The Douglas County Coroner's Office told the Douglas County Sentinel that the 1-year-old died. A cause and manner of death has yet to be released. Magby, who is at the Douglas County Jail without bond, could face more charges.
Neighbors were stunned to hear what happened, and they had no idea the kids were starving.
"It breaks my heart because if I knew that they [weren't] getting food I would have fed them," the neighbor told local ABC affiliate WSB.
Ken Howell, who runs a community outreach center nearby, echoed the neighbor's comments.
"All they had to do was come down here," he told the outlet. "We could have helped them get food."
This is not the first time Magby has been accused of abusing her children. In 2023, she allegedly stabbed a child in the back with a pocket knife as the boy was running away. She was arrested on aggravated assault and cruelty to children. She was released on bond and is set to go on trial next month.