Man Who Lived in Blackstone Infant Death Case Home: I Had No Idea
The man who lived in the now demolished Blackstone residence where authorities discovered the remains of three babies told reporters today that he was forced to spend “99 percent’’ of his time in the basement. Raymond Rivera, who Erika Murray claims is the father of the four living children recovered from the fetid home, claims his girlfriend didn’t allow him upstairs. Officials said the disheveled home was littered with pests, feces, and skeletons of dead pets.
“I was told to go in the basement and be in the basement…and stay in the basement,’’ he said, according to The Boston Globe.
Rivera told reporters that he had never seen his 5-month-old, and only once saw his 3-year-old. Both of those children were determined to have been severely neglected. Rivera and Murray also have two older children, 10 and 13 years old, who also lived in the squalid house. They are now in custody of the Department of Child Services.
Rivera spoke to reporters at Uxbridge District Court, where he appeared for his hearing concerning minor drug charges alleging he grew marijuana in the basement of the 23 St. Paul Street home. He faces no charges related to the deaths of the three babies found in closets in the home or the neglected children.
Murray, 31, is being held on $1 million cash bail for concealing the deaths of her three children.
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