Background: Jackson Street in Warrensburg, Mo. (Google Maps). Insets, left to right: Stacey Laura-Louise Castleman and Erik Aleister Castleman (Johnson County Sheriff's Office).
A 34-year-old mother and her 26-year-old husband in Missouri were arrested after authorities allegedly found four children in their care malnourished and living in filth.
Stacey Laura-Louise Castleman and Erik Aleister Castleman were taken into custody last month and charged with multiple counts of abuse or neglect of a child as well as endangering the welfare of a child, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the Warrensburg Police Department on Dec. 27, 2025, responded to a report from the Division of Family Services regarding possible child neglect at a local residence. Officers said that upon arriving at the address, they "immediately noticed a strong smell of urine and feces." They noted that "their boots stuck to the floor as they began their walk through," which revealed numerous unsafe and unsanitary conditions, per the affidavit.
"Officers saw feces smashed into the carpet, smeared on the walls, and on the furniture," the document states. "The feces were varying colors, indicating some had been there for a significant amount of time."
Rotting food allegedly filled the kitchen where the sink overflowed with dirty dishes and dried liquid spills covered the floor. A lidless trash bin in the center of the room was said to be "overflowing" with dirty diapers.
Police said that when they got to the first bedroom, there was an "overwhelming" smell of urine coming from inside.
"A bed frame and uncovered mattress were present," the affidavit states. "The mattress was covered in paw prints of either mud or feces from the dogs. The stains were crusted into the fabric of the mattress. A blanket was found rolled up at the end of the mattress. More feces was found on the floor in this room."
Police found the toddler in a bouncer in the kitchen. Beneath the bouncer, police said there was a "puddle of fresh urine." When the toddler was lifted from the bouncer, a "large amount of liquid" allegedly "poured" from the diaper to the floor and officers said the child was suffering from "an aggressive diaper rash." Stacey Castleman allegedly told police she believed the child was allergic to diapers.
In the bathroom on the first floor, officers said the toilet and tub were both covered in feces and the toilet was overflowing with "toilet paper and tampons."
On the second floor, police said they found the bedrooms of three more kids, all of whom were between ages 3 and 8. The children all allegedly slept on bare mattresses that were brown due to a combination of dirt and feces.
"The floors of each room had toys and clothing sitting in the feces," the affidavit states. "Officers looked in the bathroom on this floor and found it was filthy. There was human feces and human urine on the floor, overflowing the toilet, in the bathtub, and in a bucket that was lined with a plastic bag."
Police said all three kids were filthy, were infested with lice, and walked around the feces-filled home in bare feet.
An officer in the home said he overheard Stacey Castleman telling a Division of Family Services worker to "just take the foster kids," adding, "obviously it's too much for me to handle."
Stacey Castleman allegedly told police the home was in disarray "due to it being the holiday season" before stating that she wanted to "give all the kids up."
Both defendants are being held in Johnson County Jail on $10,000 bond. Stacey Castleman is currently scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Jan. 14, records show. Her husband is slated to appear on Jan. 21.
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