CARROLL COUNTY, Ga - Investigators said it is a horrific case of child abuse in Carroll County that saw five family members charged.
The investigation began when one child escaped. A 14-year-old girl was able to find someone who took her to the police station and told them what was happening to her and her brother and sister. "It's a very heartbreaking case," said Ashley Hulsey the Carroll County spokesperson.
Arrest warrants show the three siblings were often punished by being forced to "carry a book bag filled with bricks" while cleaning the house or doing yard work. Food was often withheld, investigators said.
"The victim who ran away said she had to eat out of the dog's bowl to be able to get food," said Hulsey. Investigators said there were cameras set up throughout the house and according to warrants, the teenage boy "was placed under surveillance camera for hours at a time" in a sparse bedroom. "There was a mattress and a bucket. He'd be locked in for hours on end and would have to use the bathroom in the bucket," said Hulsey.The foster parents, Edward and Elizabeth Holmes, were charged with a number of felonies including child abuse.
Their adult children, Brianna, Edward Junior, and Andrew, who also lived in the home were also arrested for aiding in committing child abuse. "At no time when the parental figures were out of the house did any of them try to nurture the children or get help for the children, or provide for the children," said Hulsey. All three siblings have been placed in new foster homes and are said to be doing well.
