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Jackson County couple facing multiple charges over shocking child abuse allegations, threatened to kill them if they sought help
A Jackson County, W.Va., couple is facing multiple charges after an investigation into the alleged physical and emotional abuse of three children.
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A Jackson County, W.Va., couple is facing multiple charges after an investigation into the alleged physical and emotional abuse of three children ranging in age from 12 to 17. The abuse took place over the course of several years, the sheriff’s office said.
Erica Lynn Sayre, 45, and Clifford Gale Sayre, 45, both of Evans, W.Va., were each charged with three counts of felony child abuse resulting in bodily injury and three counts of felony child neglect creating risk of injury, according to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the sheriff’s office, physical evidence, including scars consistent with the children’s accounts, and corroborating statements from the children and other physical evidence, led to the decision to charge the couple.
The allegations
A home visit from law enforcement took place following reports from a 17-year-old child. Investigators reported that they found the youth with bruises.
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“The investigation uncovered allegations of many years of disturbing mistreatment, including children being repeatedly struck, strangled, deprived of food and water, denied bathroom privileges, dumping soiled cat litter in their beds and dog feces on personal items, and forced to run barefoot on a gravel driveway as means of punishment for any conflicts with Erica. The investigation also revealed allegations of the children being struck with household objects - causing excessive bleeding injuries, forced to place a soiled sock in their mouths, and having their hair forcibly cut,” the sheriff’s office said in its release.
It added, “One child described being struck in the head with an electronic device, causing a bleeding injury for which she was denied medical treatment. One of the children was threatened to be killed if she contacted Child Protective Services. During interviews, one of the children became visibly emotional and declared, "I can't go back to that home." Another described years of alleged abuse and expressed that she "just wants a normal life."”
According to investigators, Clifford allegedly witnessed the children being abused repeatedly but did not intervene.
The sheriff’s office said, “During a forensic interview, the children summarized the situation by stating, "because mom hits us and Gale lets her" and went on to describe being tormented and harassed about their deceased biological parents.”
Following the initial disclosure, investigators contacted Child Protective Services, and all the children were removed from the house.
“The investigation involved multiple interviews, the collection of photographic evidence, and medical examinations. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department emphasizes the seriousness of allegations involving child abuse and neglect of vulnerable children and remains committed to investigating such reports thoroughly and efficiently. The outlined findings of the investigation are deeply troubling and underscore the importance of reporting suspected child abuse, as the children were all living in a real life "House of Horrors" with the adults in their lives that should have otherwise been protecting them from such occurrences and conditions, not creating them,” the sheriff’s office said.
