In two weeks, the house in Blackstone, Massachusetts, that hid unspeakable horrors will be demolished.
In two weeks, the Blackstone, Massachusetts, home that hid unspeakable horrors will be demolished.
The home at 23 St. Paul Street, where the remains of three infants were found and four children living among stacks of dirty diapers and dead animals were taken into state custody, is scheduled to be destroyed.
"The walls and floors are stenched with animal feces and fluids and stuff like that," said Health Inspector Bill Walsh. "It’s beyond anything imaginable."
Since the town voted to tear down the home two weeks ago, they say they have served three notices to the property owner Kristina Rivera with no response.
Rivera is the sister of the man who was living inside the home with the children’s mother, Erika Murray, who is held without bail and facing charges of fetal death concealment and child endangerment.
"Blackstone, I believe, has given Ms. Rivera every opportunity to step forward and do the right thing, do what needs to be done to clean this property up," said Town Counsel Patrick Costello. "She has refused to do it."
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So the Blackstone Board of Health voted unanimously Tuesday night to begin the two-day demolition Oct. 21 at 9 a.m., and it appointed Factory Recycling of Millville to undertake the demo at a cost of $8,500.
That, along with the cost to clean and de-bug the home, and check for asbestos, leaves the tab to raze the squalid house to more than $31,000.
A lien on the property will also include overtime for police, fire and town officials.
"We're looking at probably over $40,000 when we get through there, as of right now," said Town Administrator Daniel Keyes.
Town officials hope to recoup the money, but say it is more important to the health and welfare of the community to remove the eyesore immediately.
And they say they know that is just the beginning of the healing process for the community and everyone involved.
"There’s four little children that were left behind, that are still living this nightmare and will have to for, I’m sure, years to come," said Keyes. "I hope they get over it, and I pray that they do."
Town officials say they will send Rivera a final notice alerting her to the scheduled demolition. They say they welcome her to step in and demo the house on her own, but they say at this point, they aren't optimistic that will happen.
