Couple charged with child endangerment after police find ‘bags of feces’ inside home

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KFVS/Gray News) - A Missouri couple was arrested after police discovered unsafe, unsanitary living conditions inside their home with their five children.

KFVS reports the Poplar Bluff Police Department was called to a home to follow up on information about drug activity at a residence.

Responding officers reported they noticed numerous trash bags that were full on the side and in front of the home. Trash was also scattered everywhere in the front yard and driveway.

Officers said they smelled an odor of bad personal hygiene and an extremely foul odor coming from the residence.

According to the PBPD, Aaron and Teyrsa Medley lived at the home with their five children from ages 1 to 9 years old. And the couple granted officers to enter their home.

Officers said they were immediately hit with what was described as a “pungent odor that made their stomachs churn” when entering the home.

Each room was covered with loose trash and large bags of trash, animal/human feces, urine and dirt.

Officer discovered a 4-foot-wide pile of dirty diapers just 3 feet away from where a... — Officer discovered a 4-foot-wide pile of dirty diapers just 3 feet away from where a 1-year-old slept in a crib.(Poplar Bluff Police Department)

A dark, hard substance coated the flooring and piles of dirty clothing, trash, used toilet paper and diapers covered the bathroom flooring, according to police.

Police Chief Danny Whiteley responded to the scene and said he had been inside hundreds of residences with the same foul odor. Those houses consisted of unsanitary, unhealthy and unsafe living conditions.

According to police, the inside of the refrigerator and freezer had several spills of unknown liquids and food with numerous dead roaches inside of them. A cooking dish had dead maggot larvae under the glass lid. Dozens of flies were present flying around.

Officers say the table and counter tops were completely filthy and covered with unknown... — Officers say the table and counter tops were completely filthy and covered with unknown debris, along with food and trash.(Poplar Bluff Police Department)

With the assistance of the Butler County Juvenile Office, Butler County Children’s Division and Butler County Social Services, the five children were removed from the residence.

Police said Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kacey Proctor also responded to the home to examine it first-hand.

The couple was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child and booked into the Butler County Justice Center.

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