An Arkansas couple has been arrested after a welfare check uncovers squalid living conditions, but what authorities found in the freezer left them shocked and appalled.
37-year-old Boddie Williams and 38-year-old Samantha Platz are facing 24 counts of aggravated animal cruelty after officers with Truman Police Department discovered 24 deceased cats in their freezer. In addition to those charges, Platz is being charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the welfare check, and Williams is being charged with possession of methamphetamine.
This disturbing event unfolded at approximately 12 p.m. on July 2nd when officers were called to a residence on South Oak Avenue to perform a welfare check on a young girl living in the home.
Officers described being immediately overwhelmed by a foul odor once they entered the residence. The air quality was so poor and carried such a strong odor of ammonia that it caused officers' noses and chests to burn.
The responding officers said there were 10 or more cats living in the home with cat urine and feces mingled within trash all over the floors and counters.
One officer noted that as soon as he entered the home, his clothing became covered with fleas and gnats.
As officers made their way through the home, they were able to make contact with the young child whom they were called to check on.
Officers reported finding the young child in a room covered in trash and feces. She was sitting alone on a bare mattress on the floor that appeared to be infested with fleas.
Police say the young girl was visibly embarrassed at the condition she was found in. Officers reported she could not remember the last time she had eaten.
In their reports, officers stated the condition of the home was "detrimental to the juvenile's health and mental well-being".
While speaking with officers, the young girl asked officers what would happen to all the cats. When officers assured her they would be cared for, she asked, "What about the cats in the freezer?"
This led officers to discover 24 deceased cats of various ages being stored in two deep freezers. Police officers reported pertaining to the deceased cats, "some were kittens "and "some were curled up as if trying to stay warm with their eyes open". This led officers to believe at least some of the animals had been placed in the freezer while still living. They went on to say some were emaciated and showed signs of physical suffering.
After Boddie Williams and Samantha Platz were taken into custody, the young girl was placed in the custody of her adult sister. Code enforcement officers also declared the residence uninhabitable.
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