Iowa parents charged with intentional starvation murder of 16-year-old adopted daughter
Misty and Marc Ray, the adoptive Perry, Iowa, parents of 16-year-old Sabrina Ray were charged with the first-degree murder of their daughter this week after it became clear that the child died of intentional abuse and starvation at the hands of her parents and other family members. The Rays had already been facing multiple charges for allegedly physical abusing Sabrina and two of her adoptive sisters. MSN and People reported that during the final month of her life, Sabrina “suffered unreasonable force, torture and cruelty for an extended period of time, resulting in bodily injury … that was intended to cause serious injury.”
The final report supplied by the medical examiner concluded that Sabrina died of severe malnutrition. The child only weighed 56 pounds at the time of her death. Also arrested in connection with her death are Sabrina’s adoptive brother, 21-year-old Justin, adoptive cousin Josie Bousman and her adoptive grandmother, Carla Bousman. Court papers stated that one month before she died, her adoptive brother drop-kicked her and threw her down a set of stairs leading to the basement in the family home. Leading up to her death, court papers allege that Sabrina could not walk, talk, eat or drink.
The Rays were running a daycare operation out of their Perry home where Sabrina and two other adopted girls were regularly denied food and water and where they were all regularly physically abused, according to court documents. The girls’ adoptive grandmother “is accused of assisting in kidnapping and torturing Sabrina and the other two girls. She also allegedly helped in trying to cover up Sabrina’s death and injuries the other girls had sustained,” according to MSN.
NBC News affiliate 13WhoTV reported that in addition to being charged with murdering Sabrina, the adoptive father was also charged with two counts of sexually abusing another of the children in his Perry home. Court papers state that “Marc Ray was charged with one count of second-degree sexual abuse for a child under 12 and one count of third-degree sexual abuse for a person 12 or 13 years old,” according to CBS News affiliate KCCI in Des Moines. The Rays are currently incarcerated at the Dallas County Jail where they’re being held on $1 million cash-only bail each.
Written by: Ace News Today Staff
