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Detroit mom charged with murder, torture after 2 children found in freezer

Posted at 10:03 PM, Apr 01, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-02 00:03:30-04

By Kevin Conlon and Stephanie Gallman

(CNN) — The Detroit mother arrested last month after police discovered the bodies of two children inside of her freezer was charged Wednesday with murder.

Mitchelle Angela Blair, 35, has been charged with murdering her 13-year-old daughter, Stoni Ann Blair, and her 9-year-old son, Stephen Gage Berry, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

Their bodies were found wrapped in plastic inside the freezer by a bailiff evicting Blair from her home March 24, according to Detroit Police Chief James Craig. She was not home at the time but Craig said she was later arrested on child abuse charges at another location.

In addition to the two counts of premeditated murder — each of which carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole if convicted — Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged Blair with two counts of torture.

The county medical examiner hasn’t yet issued autopsy results, so while it’s not yet known how they died, Worthy said both children had been dead for about two years.

Blair also has a 17-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son that were living with her. She’s been charged with four counts of felony child abuse and one count of committing child abuse first degree in the presence of another child. Her surviving children have been placed in protective custody, according to Worthy.

“Even though we are issuing these charges today, this tragic case remains under investigation,” she said Wednesday.

Blair will be arraigned Thursday.

The-CNN-Wire
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