A Michigan woman whose two young children were found alone in a filthy home has pleaded guilty to all charges, though she may still be able to change her mind.
Krystal Farmer, 27, faced two counts of child abandonment, four counts of child abuse and one count of lying to police. The charges followed a February welfare check by Flint Police Department officers, who found her sons, ages 3 and 4, alone inside the home. Both boys have special needs.
The department released body camera footage showing the house covered in trash, with human waste smeared on the walls. Police said one of the boys was eating “raw, spoiled meat.” The other was hiding on a bedroom floor.
On Monday, Farmer pleaded guilty to all seven counts. According to local ABC, however, she could withdraw the plea if she disagrees with the sentence she receives.
WJRT reported that Farmer requested a Cobbs evaluation, which comes from the case People v. Cobbs. Such an evaluation lets defendants hear an estimate of their sentence before they commit to a guilty or no contest plea.
Police said a concerned neighbor called 911 on Feb. 18 and asked for a welfare check. WNEM spoke with one neighbor, Christy Ogles-Campbell, who said she had suspected something was wrong in the home “at least since September.” After learning what officers had found, she said, “I never ever could have imagined that that was actually what was going on in that house.”
Investigators said Farmer lied when officers questioned her. However, police said they picked apart her account and concluded she had left the two boys home alone for days.
Inside, officers said the floor was covered in trash “so thickly” that they “couldn’t take a normal step.” A faucet had been left running and was overflowing onto the floor. Police said, “It was a house that had been reduced to survival conditions.”
In a Facebook post, Flint police said the boys were “now safe” because one neighbor “spoke up.” Farmer is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 19.