The parents and brother of a South Carolina teen girl with disabilities who died as a result of negligence were sentenced to severe jail sentences after being found guilty of murder.
Heather Baynard, 14, died at a hospital in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in April 2022 after being discovered unresponsive, according to WSPA, WYFF, and Fox Carolina.
Authorities investigated her family’s home and discovered pee and excrement, according to reports.
According to WSPA, an investigation of the home revealed that 40 animals lived there, contributing to the deplorable conditions.
Both WSPA and WYFF stated, citing authorities, that the urine and feces caused Heather’s skin to deteriorate, while a medical witness described the girl’s legs as “raw meat.”
“In the home, the dogs contributed to the deplorable conditions,” Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller told WSPA. “A lot of feces in the home, both from the cats and the dogs; urine, which created a huge ammonia-type smell.”
According to Fox Carolina, Coroner Dennis Fowler described it as the “absolute worst case of child neglect” he had ever seen.
Heather’s parents, David and Bobbi Jo Baynard, were convicted of murder, felony child abuse, and illegal neglect of a child and sentenced to life in prison for the murder conviction and 30 years for the other two counts, according to reports.
Heather’s brother, Edward Baynard, 21, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of murder.