A family of eight is being indicted on first-degree felony murder charges for what they did to a 14 year old boy.
According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, a woman, her son, and her six daughters are all being charged with murder in the perpetration of aggravated child abuse and neglect in the death of Brandon Gray, 14.
When Bartlett police were called to a residence in the 3500 block of Skylight Drive on January 7, 2020, they found Brandon Gray unresponsive on the living room floor, and was pronounced dead. According to the autopsy, Gray weighed only 60 pounds, and had died from starvation.
Police also found a 12 year old girl in the home who was malnourished and covered in bruises. According to the DA’s office, the girl was transported to the hospital and treated for moderate malnutrition and bruises and scars on her body.
One of the family’s neighbors said that he’d noticed a lot of people living at the house, and stated that at least one child was so thin he assumed the child was a cancer patient.
There were a total of 10 children living inside the home when police arrived on the scene. Officials have not disclosed where the children are living now.
WMC5 reports: “The family members indicted include the victims’ mother, 36-year-old Terra Wells and their aunts, 30-year-old Tessa Dishmon, 35-year-old, Tamera Dishmon, 30-year-old Amanda Dishmon, 26-year-old Tabitha Sharp and 22-year-old Breanna Wells. The victims’ uncle, 32-year-old Melvin Wells, was also indicted.”
The eighth family member who was to be indicted in the case was the victims’ 60 year old grandmother Yvette Charleston, who passed away on May 13.
The other seven family members are each being held on a $250,000 bond.
The case is being handled by Chief Prosecutor Eric Christensen and Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Hennig of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit. The unit was created to prosecute cases of rape, aggravated rape, child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults.