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The arrest of Kenneth Neal Conley, 46, and Tamara Ann Conley, 44, in West Virginia has drawn significant attention after authorities accused them of abandoning their three young children for over 12 hours in an unsafe environment. During this time, the children reportedly engaged in a knife fight and were exposed to a harmful chemical spray, raising serious concerns about their welfare.
The couple was apprehended last week and faced charges of gross neglect of a child, creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death. This felony charge underscores the gravity of the situation, as highlighted in court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The case unfolded on October 1, when officers from the Sophia Police Department were dispatched for a welfare check at the couple’s residence in Sophia, a town located roughly 60 miles southeast of Charleston, West Virginia. The alarming findings prompted immediate action.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered the three unattended children aged 8 and 10 (with two being the same age) in a state of neglect. According to Charleston ABC and Fox affiliate WCHS, which cited a criminal complaint filed in Raleigh County Magistrate Court, the children had been left alone for more than half a day in an apartment cluttered with hazardous items.
Upon arriving at the address, first responders said they found three young children — ages 8, 10, and 10 — who had been left unsupervised in the apartment for more than 12 hours, according to a report from Charleston ABC and Fox affiliate WCHS, citing to a criminal complaint filed in Raleigh County Magistrate Court on Oct. 2.
While alone in the apartment, the three young children reportedly “engaged in a fight involving knives,” per the complaint. The trio also allegedly fought using “chemical spray” and were reported to be in “possession of a firearm” that had been left in the home.
Inside the home, authorities also allegedly recovered drug paraphernalia and residue that tested positive for methamphetamine, both of which were said to be within reach of the juveniles.
“This neglect created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury and exposed the children to controlled substances,” authorities reportedly wrote in the complaint.
Police on Oct. 2 obtained a warrant for the parents’ arrests, and Kenneth Conley and Tamara Conley were both taken into custody on Oct. 8. They were processed and are currently being held in the Southern Regional Jail.
A magistrate judge set the bond for both parents at $10,000. They are currently scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Timothy P. Deems on Thursday for their preliminary hearings.
