Insets: Amberly Britton and Mark Myers (St. Charles County Corrections). Background: The Missouri home where Amberly Britton and Mark Myers allegedly starved and locked up their children (KTVI/YouTube).
A Missouri mother and father have been accused of locking their children up and starving them, along with other disturbing abuse allegations.
Police say the kids were so hungry that they were "forced to break locks on cabinets to eat" and were subjected to physical discipline for "vomiting from severe hunger" and other things.
The mom, Amberly Britton, allegedly "blamed" her three children and "showed no remorse" for the abuse and neglect they reported experiencing when questioned by cops about it, according to probable cause statements filed by the St. Charles County Police Department. The dad, Mark Myers, also allegedly "blamed the children" and claimed that they "lie" about how they are treated when speaking with investigators.
"Children's Division initiated an investigation after one of the victim children arrived at school with a significant laceration that required medical care," the probable cause statements say. "Children's Division requested law enforcement assistance due to concerns about the child's welfare and the conditions of the home."
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State investigators and law enforcement went to the family's residence and observed hazardous and unsanitary living conditions, including "extreme clutter throughout the home, strong odors of urine, no bedding on mattresses, and a large amount of dirty dishes and debris covering surfaces," according to the police statements.
The kitchen cabinets and refrigerator were allegedly secured with locks that prevented the children from accessing food. Britton and Myers claimed the locks were necessary to "control" what the children ate.
"During multiple visits, the adults appeared evasive, impaired, or unresponsive and repeatedly claimed to be unable to complete drug testing after investigators received information that methamphetamine was being used inside the residence," the probable cause statements say. "Despite being given an opportunity to clean and correct safety hazards, no meaningful improvements were made."
Two of the couple's three children spoke to investigators about the alleged abuse and described being "regularly locked" inside their bedroom, sometimes overnight. One of them, who is 13, reported experiencing pain and "vomiting from severe hunger, and then being punished after she vomited," according to cops.
"The children further reported that they were required to care for themselves and each other, including waking themselves, preparing food, and getting ready for school due to the adults sleeping for extended periods and failing to provide supervision," the probable cause statements allege. "They described being subjected to physical discipline, including being struck with belts, paddles, and other objects, as well as being grabbed or dragged by the neck."
The children stated that their bruises and injuries were "concealed" and they were instructed to not tell anyone about what occurred inside the home, according to police. They reported that they "feared additional punishment" if they spoke about the conditions, attempted to leave their bedroom, or tried to obtain food.
"They also stated that the windows to their room had been screwed shut to prevent them from leaving when confined," the probable cause statements say. "Investigators corroborated these statements and observed locks on all cabinets and refrigerators. Locks were also found on each bedroom door, which required fingerprints to access."
The family's home was deemed "unsanitary" and "uninhabitable" due to the alleged conditions inside, including a lack of heat. No children's toys or clothing were found inside, despite Britton recently receiving money from an inheritance.
"There is no indication that any of those funds were used for the children," the probable cause statements say.
Britton and Myers were both charged with second-degree drug trafficking and three counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. They are each being held on $250,000 cash-only bonds.
