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Background: The Madison County Detention Center in Richmond, Kentucky (Google Maps). Insets (from left to right): Stephanie Harmer and Casey Farthing (Madison County Detention Center).
In a shocking incident in Kentucky, authorities report that a couple confined their nonverbal children within a closet, despite the children’s desperate attempts to scratch their way out, leaving their fingers bloodied.
The parents, Stephanie Harmer, 36, and Casey Farthing, 41, face charges including first-degree child abuse of a child under 12, unlawful imprisonment, and significant damage to their rented home, according to court documents reviewed by Law&Crime. Both individuals are currently held at the Madison County Detention Center.
The situation came to light when a property owner in Richmond, Kentucky, reached out to the Richmond Police Department after discovering the apartment left by previous tenants in a state described as “deplorable,” as detailed in an arrest report shared by local Fox affiliate WDKY. The damage allegedly inflicted by Harmer and Farthing is estimated at approximately $2,500.
Upon visiting the apartment, officers reportedly uncovered more than just property damage. The residence was infested with cockroaches and littered with dirty diapers and human waste, officials stated.
Moreover, investigators noted that doors within the apartment had locks placed externally. In a particularly disturbing discovery, officers found a bedroom closet with bloody walls and drywall that appeared to have been frantically scratched from the inside.
Police interviewed Harmer and Farthing and learned that the married couple had lived at the home with their sons, ages 9 and 8, and their 5-year-old daughter. The boys had autism and were nonverbal, WDKY reported.
Kentucky Child Protective Services got involved, and the young girl spoke with them. She allegedly “freely” offered the information that “mommy and daddy lock the boys in the closet when they”re bad.”
Authorities examined the children and found that one child’s fingers were covered in dried blood and that the child had a broken nail. While the parents claimed the lock on the closet door was like that when they moved in, the landlord disputed this, authorities said.
Police reported additional signs of neglect, including that none of the children had ever brushed their teeth and that they all still wore diapers.
Harmer and Farthing were arrested and booked into the Madison County Detention Center over the weekend. They were scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday.