Biological Mother of Child Living in Home Where Foster Child Died Speaks Out

"I'm sad and I'm afraid because she's probably afraid," said 34-year-old Angela Newton.

Newton's heart is breaking for her 9-year-old daughter Marissa, who was one of four children taken into DCF custody from Kimberly Malpass' Auburn, Massachusetts, home after two of the three foster children living there were found unresponsive Saturday - and one of them, two-year-old Avalena Conway later died.

"I just think that maybe it was some negligence," said Newton, "Maybe she was caring to one of the other kids and they got into something, but to hurt a child, or to purposely hurt a child, it's not in her."

Newton says she and Malpass were friends since high school. When Newton became pregnant and couldn't care for the child, she gave guardianship to Malpass.

"When you know that yourself can't take care of a child and you have somebody who's so good and their heart is pure to take your child in for you, knowing that you can't do it," said Newton through tears, "I love Kim, I always have."

Newton says she feels horribly for Avalena's parents and even talked to them on the phone Monday. But she feels badly for Malpass, too. She doesn't think the solution is to put her daughter and Malpass two biological sons in DCF custody.

"Kim's her mom, I'm her biological mother, yes, but Kim's her mother, she loves her," Newton said.

When asked if she thinks Marissa should be back with Kim, Newton said without hesitation, "I do, I do, I really do." 

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