The Misery Machine - The Case of Erika Murray

Starting point is 00:00:00 Erica Murray was born into a middle-class household of parents Kevin and Sharon Murray in Northbridge, Massachusetts, just south of Worcester. She was raised in the same rural home that her father grew up in. It was described as a cute kid that often wore her dark hair and ponytails. Beverly Alasey, who lived next door for over 40 years, described Erica as a happy-go-lucky kid and the Murray's as a regular average family. As a little girl, Erica played baseball in hide-and-seek with her two older brothers, and swam in the families above-ground pool.

Starting point is 00:00:32 During the summer, like many families in the Pilgrim State, they made their way up I-95 towards Maine to enjoy the beaches and nature. They also enjoyed having barbecues with other families in the neighborhood. Her father, Kevin, worked as a diesel mechanic and was described as a handyman who would take care of all the household repairs himself. Her mother, Sharon, was a homemaker who enjoyed crafting.

Starting point is 00:00:54 Now, as a teen in the late 90s into the early odds, Erica cared about her looks, making sure her hair was on point and her nails were done. Given the time period, she probably had very square French tips or some sort of strange airbrush design. Now, many of us did. And like many of us, she went on to work at her local McDonald's. There, she met the future father of her children, Ramon Rivera III,

Starting point is 00:01:17 who was seven years her senior. Soon after the pair started dating, Ramon began displaying controlling behavior. Now, if you worked in fast food during this time period, Erica's situation is probably one that you've heard about or witnessed many times before. And you might be familiar with how rampant inappropriate relations are between staff. In particular, teenage girls and much older men. Now, I worked at my local McDonald's during high school,

Starting point is 00:01:44 and there were men closer in age with my father who were trying to pick me up as if it wasn't a crime. It really made for an uncomfortable work environment, and I can't speak for things nowadays as I've left my apron behind for over 20 years, but I really hope that's changed. In 2001, at age 18, Erica found herself in a bit of a crisis. She was pregnant. According to a high school friend who did not wish to be named, Erica was reluctant to take part in her high school graduation ceremony

Starting point is 00:02:14 because she was starting to show. The friend stated she was afraid to walk on the stage while pregnant. She was embarrassed. Realizing that she needed to retrieve her diploma, the friend was able to persuade Erica to put on her cap and gown. After graduating from Northbridge High School, Erica gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Kayla. She, Ramon, and their new baby lived with her parents. But then Erica found herself pregnant again a few years later.

Starting point is 00:02:41 There just wasn't enough room in the house for another child. So the young family moved to 23 St. Paul Street in Blackstone, just north of the Rhode Island State Line, and into Ramon's sister, named Christina's, cramped three-bedroom home. Eventually, his sister moved out. Erica eventually gave birth to her second child at age 21, a son whom she named Nick. According to family and friends, the move marked the beginning of Erica's spiraling mental health descent. Without her parents' constant support, her ability to cope began to crumble. Loved ones noticed that the once prim and proper young woman began wearing baggy clothes,

Starting point is 00:03:21 looking disheveled, and rarely left the house. She had never even gotten a driver's license, and she became more and more isolated. Her family thought she was embarrassed by her unkempt home, and they didn't push it with her. Then, Erica got pregnant for a third time, and a fourth, and then later, a fifth. But Ramon didn't want any more children. Now, under her baggy attire, the young mother hid these pregnancies. Nobody knew that she was pregnant. When it was time to give birth, Erica delivered these three babies alone at night on her bathroom floor.

Starting point is 00:03:54 We'll get to what happened to those babies a little bit later in our story. She went on to get pregnant twice more. That's right, a sixth and a seventh child. Please keep these facts in mind as it will become very important later in the story. Just like she had those other times, she hid those pregnancies from Ramon and her family and friends, and later gave birth to them in the same manner. She had two baby girls born almost three years apart. When Ramon, now 37, was home, Erica hit the girls in the upstairs bedrooms.

Starting point is 00:04:23 Eventually, her two older children learned about the babies, but Erica insisted that she was just babysitting them. On social media, Erica kept up this facade that she enjoyed a pleasant domestic life. Her Facebook postings were full of photos of home-cooked meals and pictures of her two older children, Kayla and Nick. However, pictures of her two youngest that she kept secret were nowhere to be found. Now, just like her mother, Sharon, she too was rather crafty. Erica made decorations such as Halloween signs and candle holders and sold them for $30 or less at a shop called Ginny's Place in nearby Wittonsville. Erica's creations were apparently popular. The store had only been open six weeks and all of the craft she made had already sold.

Starting point is 00:05:10 Erica would later go on to work at a local Shaw's supermarket for a period of time before Ramon pressed her to quit. At the time of our story, Ramon was working at the Staples headquarters and framing him. Despite her crumbling mental state, Erica would leave the house on occasion, and her neighbors had no idea there was anything wrong. She'd wait at the school bus stop every morning with her two oldest kids and make weekly trips to the supermarket. She even hosted a 10th birthday party for her son at Pinsbow and Milford, where the family enjoyed pizza, cake, laser tag, and arcade games.

Starting point is 00:05:42 According to a neighbor who was in attendance with her own son, Erica and Ramon seemed very affectionate with one another at the party. She said he would put his arm around her and they would talk. The neighbor, who works as a preschool teacher and wished not to be named, would often see the couple at their local market basket doing groceries. She noted that Ramon would drive Erica around. She also noted that she and Erica would often chat while waiting at the bus stop for their kids to come home. The two mothers would talk about their children and how they were doing in school.

Starting point is 00:06:13 Erica confided that money was tied in. There were clues that this might be the case. The neighbor often noticed that. that Erica's son Nick, who was friends with her own son, would often wear the same clothing all weekends. Nick also never wanted to go home until it was getting dark out, and she'd have to suggest it was time for him to go. The neighbor never went inside Erica's home. She said that the outside of the home smelled like dog poop, but she chalked it up to the family's bloodhounds. The last time that the neighbor and Erica saw one another was during the summer of 2014. Erica had just gone to a Kmart

Starting point is 00:06:44 store that was closing and said that she had bought her daughter a new bed-in-bag set, and and her son some new headphones. She suggested that the neighbor head over and check out some of the deals. On August 27, 2014, Erica's son Nick was spending time with his friend, who was listed in official documents under the pseudonym Pete. Pete's mother, Betsy Brown, left the boys riding their skateboards in the driveway while she ran to the store. However, before she arrived at the store, she received a concerning phone call from her son.

Starting point is 00:07:16 He was very upset and wanted her to come home because he could, not get the babies to stop crying. After speaking with the boys further, she soon realized they were calling her from inside the Murray home. When Betsy drove up to the house, the two boys were waiting for her in the driveway. As soon as she got out of her car, she heard babies screaming and crying. Nick led Betsy into the house where she found a three-year-old and a five-month-old. The two girls were wet and soiled and were found in separate upstairs bedrooms where they were kept on filthy mattresses. The woman was horrified by the overwhelming odor that emanated from the home. According to Betsy, quote, the smell was overcoming. I can't even

Starting point is 00:07:54 describe it. It was a horrible, horrible smell. There was just trash and stuff everywhere, end quote. Betsy called 911 for help and the Blackstone police quickly arrived. They found the five-month-old girl lying on her back in a bed, covered in feces. She was clothed only in a soiled diaper. In addition, police found something tragic in that bedroom. Near the soiled little girl, police also found the body of a dead dog. In all, there were three bedrooms upstairs. Lieutenant Gregory Gilmore, who responded to the St. Paul Street home, attempted to open one of the bedroom doors, but could only force it open a few inches. Trash was piled against the door several feet high, which prevented it from opening completely. From outside the room, the police could see human

Starting point is 00:08:40 feces on the walls. According to former assistant district attorney John Bradley, the upstairs was filthy beyond belief. There was an overwhelming stench of feces. He went on to say that the five-month-old looked like she had been dipped in the feces and that soil diapers were stacked a foot high in some places. But it wasn't just the upstairs that was an extreme state of disarray.

Starting point is 00:09:03 Trash, dirty clothing, food containers, and soil diapers were strewn all about the rooms of the house, covering the floors. The kitchen sink was full of dirty dishes. There were flies and maggots flying around the kitchen in the other rooms, and the house was infested with rodents. In the basement was a living room containing a couch, a table, and some chairs. A second basement room contained a dog, the bloodhound that we mentioned previously,

Starting point is 00:09:27 and he was inside of a crate. Lieutenant Gilmore discovered what appeared to be a potted plant and a light hanging over in that room. Police found this to be a problem because adult use was not yet legal in Massachusetts until 2016. Sometime after 4 p.m., Erica and her now 13, year old daughter Kayla returned home from their outing, where they were met by Blackstone Patrol officer Anthony Longarini. She told the officer that she had left the house around 10 a.m. that morning because she had things to do. When Officer Longarini advised her that it was unacceptable to leave children that young alone in the squalid home, she agreed. Soon, social workers of the

Starting point is 00:10:05 Department of Children and Family showed up at the Murray home. That afternoon, Erica's tragic and twisted secrets began to unravel. The then-31-year-old mother, sat on her front porch steps with a blank look on her face. Her hair was completely disheveled. She didn't shed a tear as state social workers hauled her 13-year-old daughter, 10-year-old son, 3-year-old daughter, and 5-month-old baby girl out of the nightmare they called home. Her biggest concern was the fact her cat had escaped and she was worried her pet would not make it through the night. In reality, this cat had a better chance of making it on the streets of Blackstone than living at home with Erica.

Starting point is 00:10:43 Lieutenant Gilmore spoke with Erica at her home and later at the police station, which was within walking distance. She advised the lieutenant that the three-year-old and the five-month-old little girls were her children, and that Ramon was the father. She kept this a secret from her entire family, including Ramon and her two older children. According to Erica, she was embarrassed that she gave birth to two more children that she, in her own words, probably could not afford. She confided that she had told her older children she was just babysitting these two younger girls. For some reason, after being totally truthful with Lieutenant Gilmore, Erica started to lie. She told them the younger girls were born at Milford Regional Hospital and that the hospital would have their birth records. Later, she told DCF social workers the girls had been born at home and had never been to a doctor.

Starting point is 00:11:32 Later, Blackstone Board of Health Code Enforcement Officer William Walsh was called in to inspect and photograph the interior of the house. He determined that the home was unfit for human habitation and condemned. it. Now, before she left her condemned home, Erica retrieved her pocketbook in a coat. She told Mr. Walsh that her boyfriend was coming to pick her up. However, when Mr. Walsh last saw her, she was walking up St. Paul Street alone. Kevin Sullivan, the Blackstone Regional Animal Control Officer, visited the residence on August 28th with regard to the bloodhound that was found in the basement. He was very thin, with scabs, scars, and large areas of missing fur. His eyes were sunken and covered with goo, and he was infested with fleas. Mr. Sullivan spoke with Erica, who told him that

Starting point is 00:12:19 she could not care for the family dog or cat. Apparently, the cat had come back, that poor baby was also covered in flea bites. Mr. Sullivan took both animals to the shelter, where they were treated for fleas and then taken to the veterinarian the next day. DCF placed the two younger girls in foster homes. We'll be referring to them as Lisa and Gina, the pseudonyms they're referred to in official documents, as according to some sources, Erica never named them. On September 3rd, 2014, they were seen in the Foster Children Evaluation Clinic at UMass Medical Center in Worcester. They were treated by Dr. Heather Forky and Dr. Peter Sell. Lisa, the older child, appeared to be about three years old. She was frightened as the doctors approached her. She would cower like she was about to be

Starting point is 00:13:05 hit. To Dr. Forky, this was a sign that Lisa had adapted to the lack of caregiver support and had been exposed to constant threats. When she sensed she was being threatened, Lisa tried to make herself as small as possible so the threat would not notice her. Lisa could not make eye contact with the doctors. She rocked back and forth to console herself. Her hair had not been managed

Starting point is 00:13:26 and her muscle tone was described as doughy, which indicated she did not use her muscles at all. When she was propped up, she curled her legs into a fetal position. She was unable to eat from a spoon or drink from a cup. She also had a diaper rash as Erica had not changed her regularly or attempted to potty train her. According to Dr. Forky, Lisa had so much wax in her ears. They were both unable to see her eardrums. Lisa did not speak. Rather, she made guttural sounds only. Dr. Forky believed that Lisa had experienced a profound amount of neglect which resulted in

Starting point is 00:14:01 physical, emotional, and developmental consequences. Dr. Forky suspected that Lisa could be autistic due to some of the symptoms that she was exhibiting. Lisa was admitted to UMass Medical Center for further testing. Thankfully, her tests were all negative for infection. Her vitamin D and albumin levels were low, indicating she was nutritionally deficient and had not been exposed to sunlight, which was consistent with her being kept in the upstairs bedroom.

Starting point is 00:14:27 Dr. Forky also examined Gina, who appeared to be about five months old. Gina made eye contact with the doctors and engaged with them by smiling and reacting to them, Much like her sister, Gina's muscle tone was also underdeveloped. She did not move on the examining table like most children her age. Rather, she lay on the table with her arms out to her sides. The back of her head was flat, indicating that she spent most of her time on her back.

Starting point is 00:14:53 She did not make any verbal sounds when examined, unlike normally developed five-month-old babies. In Dr. Forky's opinion, Gina also had experienced significant neglect. Gina was also admitted to the hospital for additional time. tests. She did not have any infections, fractured bones, or healed fractures. Lisa and Gina did well in foster care and physically improved within a short period of time. They both received their immunizations and Lisa's muscle tone improved, and according to Lisa's foster parents, she was walking within two weeks after her placement. On September 3rd, the DCF staff from the Wittonsville office met with Erica and Ramon. According to DCF investigator Catherine Francie, Erica had a flat affect

Starting point is 00:15:36 and appeared very calm, whereas Ramon was visibly upset and sobbing. Neither parent inquired about their children. During the meeting, Erica provided the dates of birth for Lisa and Gina. She also referred to Lisa as it several times. The staff asked about someone named Michelle Ridgeway. Erica explained that Michelle Ridgeway was a fictional friend that she had created on Facebook to explain the constant presence of the younger children in the house. She told Kayla and Nick that she was babysitting Michelle's usual.

Starting point is 00:16:06 young children because she worked a lot. A search warrant was executed at the Murray House in September 10th by Blackstone Police in Massachusetts State Police. The officers were looking for evidence regarding the identity of the younger children and their parentage. However, they found a lot more than they bargained for. The officers discovered the remains of two babies and another dog in a bedroom closet. The babies had become skeletonized and were clothed in diapers and onesies.

Starting point is 00:16:34 One had remnants of a full head of hair and had been stuffed inside of a backpack. In another bedroom closet, they found the remains of a third infant in a box. The third baby still had its umbilical cord and placenta attached, which led officers to believe that it had been a stillborn. Now, according to one source, officers described the babies as looking like jellyfish, and I have no idea what that is supposed to mean. According to some other sources, several family pets were found dead in the home beyond the two that we have already mentioned, including other dogs and cats.

Starting point is 00:17:08 Now, due to their unexpected findings, Erica was arrested and charged with second-degree homicide in the deaths of the two clothed children. She was also indicted on two counts of assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, two counts of reckless endangerment of a child, two counts of cruelty to animals, and one count of concealing a fetal death. She was held in lieu of a $1 million bail. Allegedly, the infants had been found in cardboard boxes inside of the closets that belonged to Erica's older children. Ramon was indicted on seven charges, including two counts of assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, two counts of reckless endangerment of a child, two counts of cruelty to animals,

Starting point is 00:17:50 and one count of cultivating marijuana. During their trials, Erica's mental health was called into question, as was Ramon's alleged controlling behavior. Although he never physically put his hands on her, he displayed a series of abusive and controlling behaviors. He allegedly pressured her to leave her job, grew jealous when she socialized with other friends and family, texted her frequently asking about her whereabouts,

Starting point is 00:18:13 and threatened to abandon her when he was angry. According to forensic psychologist Dr. Lisa Rocio, she said, Ray used a pattern of behavior to instill a sense of fear and dependency. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Judith Ettershy, added that by the time she became pregnant with her younger children, she rarely left the house. She said, she surmised that he didn't want her to be in the world.

Starting point is 00:18:39 That treatment extended to verbal and financial abuse. Erica had no funds of her own for the bulk of their relationship and no access to the family's bank accounts. According to Dr. Rocio, quote, he would call her names, humiliate her, treat her like a servant. There's evidence that when angry, Ray would refer to Erica in dehumanizing ways, end quote. Dr. Rocio diagnosed Erica with dependent and avoidant personality disorders

Starting point is 00:19:05 and said she had cognitive deficiencies related to problem-solving and short-term memory, as well as a profound lack of insight and awareness into her behavior and its impacts. She added that Erica displayed almost no ability to productively cope with her circumstances or plan ahead. She would attempt to avoid dealing with problems, and when forced to, her solutions were often extremely short-sighted, such as her attempts to keep her pregnancy secret from Ramon who did not want any additional children. According to Dr. Rocio, Erica appeared to not understand just how dangerous her home was for her children or how her youngest surviving daughters could be harmed by being kept indoors without

Starting point is 00:19:42 access to vaccinations or medical treatment. She said, quote, she was really quite confused even when confronted with descriptions of the home, end quote. Eventually, the homicide charges against Erica were dropped after Judge Janet Kenton Walker ruled that while prosecutors prove one of the dead babies survived childbirth, they failed to prove that Erica could have saved the baby by calling for help or performing CPR when she discovered the baby blue and not breathing. Erica had previously told police that she had found the baby dead in its bassinet.

Starting point is 00:20:15 The baby that was found with its unbilical cord and placenta still attached had already been proven to be stillborn. According to her defense attorney Keith Halpern, there was no question that Erica's home was a tragic and unhealthy environment for her children. but, he said, a murder charge requires proving that Erica both knew her infant child was in distress and that she could have saved the baby if she acted differently. Prosecutors presented no evidence of that. He said, quote, the facts in this case would not allow any judge to convict her of murder if they followed the law, end quote.

Starting point is 00:20:47 Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. thanked police and prosecutors for their work on this case in a statement. Quote, this was a very hard case with a very difficult sentence. of facts, as it always is when dealing with children who are victims. It has emotionally affected many people throughout Worcester County. We appreciate all the time and effort the judge put into her decision in this case. The court has spoken, end quote. Lieutenant Gregory Gilmore, who at this point in the trial had been promoted to acting Blackstone

Starting point is 00:21:15 Police Chief, shared the following thoughts. Quote, this was a challenging case from the very beginning, but it has been most difficult for the children involved in this horrific situation. We also hope that with the end of this case, our community, which was shocked to our very core, can find closure, end quote. Soon after the trial, Gilmore was officially promoted to Chief. In 2019, Erica was found guilty of assault and battery on a child and cruelty to animals. Judge Janet Kenton Walker sentenced her to six to eight years in prison with credit for five years' time served. During her imprisonment, she served her time at Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correction Center in Chicago.

Starting point is 00:21:56 After release, she was to serve five years probation, during which she would have no contact with children under the age of 10 years old. As of the date of this recording, Erica has been released from prison and is active on Facebook. According to Judge Janet Kenton Walker, quote, There is nothing about this case that is normal. I cannot punish her, as some might want me to for the fact that the remains of three babies were found in the closet, end quote. Ramon Rivera III took a plea deal and was sentenced by Judge Janet Kenton Walker to four and a half years and one day in prison, with credit for time served since December of 2014. This was for one count of assault and battery on a child with substantial injury,

Starting point is 00:22:39 as well as two and a half years in the Worcester County House of Correction with credit for 136 days served on two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and three years probation for animal cruelty and possession of a man on a plant. One count of assault and battery on a child with substantial injury was dismissed. By taking this deal, he avoided state prison and served his remaining time in county jail. Many people in the true crime community have commented on the light sentences in their words that both Erica and Ramon received, and how in other states they would have received much harsher sentences. Also have noticed that of Skyler Richardson, who was facing life. in prison potentially for a stillborn baby, whereas Erica face no charges at all.

Starting point is 00:23:29 Let me know in the comments down below what you think of these sentences and how you think it would have gone over in your own home state. In the aftermath of the horrors at 23 St. Paul Drive, Erica's two older children, Kayla and Nick, now live with their paternal grandparents in another town. They live in a big, beautiful house on a cul-de-sac with a basketball hoop and a backyard pool. The two younger girls, only known publicly by the pseudonyms Lisa and Gina, remain in foster care. Finally, 23 St. Paul Drive was torn down to the ground. Workers in hazmat suits spent days cleaning out the house. The town spent $20,000 in the cleanup, and about $8,500 to take it down. As we mentioned previously, the house belonged to Ramon's sister Christina Rivera of Woonsocket.

Starting point is 00:24:14 According to the authorities, Christina refused to respond to their many attempts to contact her, including ignoring a notice that she must have the condemned home destroyed. She was being fined $500 a day for not complying with the order to have the home torn down. As of the date of this recording, 23 St. Paul Drive is nothing more than a vacant lot. Although the grim reminder of what went on inside the squalid home is gone, a permanent scar will be left on the neighborhood forever.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Erika Murray

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