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Inset: Sherry Magby (Douglas County Jail). Background: The home in Douglasville, Georgia, where Magby allegedly left 6 kids alone for 12 hours (WSB/YouTube).
Tragedy struck in Georgia where a 1-year-old child has died and a 37-year-old woman finds herself in jail after allegedly leaving him along with five other children unattended for 12 hours, without any food. The woman, identified as Sherry Diane Magby, now faces six counts of cruelty to children, as reported by local authorities.
According to arrest warrants reviewed by Law&Crime, the incident came to light when officers from the Douglasville Police Department responded to a call on March 28. They arrived at a home located in the 6000 block of James D. Simpson Avenue, where they discovered children aged 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 being overseen by a 10-year-old.
Upon entering the premises, the police were immediately hit by a strong, foul odor indicative of unsanitary conditions. The home was in a state of chaos, with every room in visible disarray. The 10-year-old informed the officers that there was insufficient food available in the house. Alarmingly, he recounted that the 1-year-old child was resorting to eating roaches and ants due to the lack of proper nourishment, according to the affidavit.
Magby is accused of leaving the children alone for approximately 12 hours. The warrants do not specify her relationship to the children, leaving that detail unclear. The Douglas County Coroner’s Office confirmed to the Douglas County Sentinel that the 1-year-old has passed away, though the exact cause and manner of death remain undisclosed. Magby is currently held in the Douglas County Jail without bond and may face additional charges as the case unfolds.
The Douglas County Coroner”s Office told the Douglas County Sentinel that the 1-year-old died. A cause and manner of death has yet to be released. Magby, who is at the Douglas County Jail without bond, could face more charges.
Neighbors were stunned to hear what happened, and they had no idea the kids were starving.
“It breaks my heart because if I knew that they [weren’t] getting food I would have fed them,” the neighbor told local ABC affiliate WSB.
Ken Howell, who runs a community outreach center nearby, echoed the neighbor’s comments.
“All they had to do was come down here,” he told the outlet. “We could have helped them get food.”
This is not the first time Magby has been accused of abusing her children. In 2023, she allegedly stabbed a child in the back with a pocket knife as the boy was running away. She was arrested on aggravated assault and cruelty to children. She was released on bond and is set to go on trial next month.