Erika Murray, accused of causing the deaths of two of her babies and concealing the death of a third, pleaded not guilty to all nine counts against her Monday, including two murder charges.
All of the children were found stuffed in closets of her home in Blackstone, Massachusetts, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Murray had five children in seven years, and she wanted to hide her pregnancies because her boyfriend and father of the children didn't want any more kids.
They say she gave birth in a bathroom inside her home, alone and with no medical assistance.
Her attorney says she did not kill any of her children.
"It does not make sense to me to portray her as a serial child killer when, in fact, we know that she didn't kill the two youngest children," said Murray's attorney Keith Halpern.
Besides the three dead babies, investigators say there were four children living in the home.
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They say the family was living in squalor, with feces and trash all over the place and the home was infested with vermin.
The two youngest children were neglected, including a 3-year-old girl who couldn’t walk or talk.
"The pediatricians had to literally clean the maggots out of her ears so that she was able to hear correctly," said Assistant Worcester District Attorney John Bradley.
Murray's mother and other family members declined to comment after court.
Her defense attorney says any evidence that Murray killed any of her children is "weak" and "speculative."
"She is mentally ill to the point she was incapable of doing anything," said Halpern.
The judge ordered Murray held without bail.
Raymond Rivera, the father of the children, faces charges of assault and battery causing substantial injury and reckless child endangerment. He is being held on $100,000 bail.
