In January, Greenville police were called to a home on Wilbur Street for an infant having trouble breathing.
"The officers arrived, the baby was inside the house," said Sergeant Paul Molton. "One officer noticed he was cold to the touch."
By the time the two-month-old got to the hospital, he was pronounced dead. The coroner determined the cause of death to be a combination of dehydration, malnutrition and exposure to the elements.
His parents, 24-year-old Michael Rabold and 22-year-old Royanne Darr, were brought in for questioning. Police said the couple admitted to putting the child outside and forgetting about him for over an hour on that cold January night. Investigators then found even more disturbing evidence behind the home's closed doors.
"There was dog feces all over the house," said Molton. "There were dirty diapers in the kids' bedrooms, there was human feces on the walls, on the crib."
The couple has two other children, a 15-month-old and a 2-year-old, who were taken into protective services. But police believe the neglect started very early on, especially with the two youngest boys.
The mother hid both pregnancies never receiving prenatal care. And once the babies were born, she never returned with them to the doctors.
"During the investigation, they admitted to just not taking care of the 2-month-old, not feeding him," said Molton.
Police said the two toddlers are recovering now that they're in foster care. Their parents were jailed without bond and are due in court next week.
