CHATSWORTH, Ga.-- Murray County authorities and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the discovery Thursday of two cages inside a Chatsworth,Ga., home used to imprison an 8-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy for as long as two months or more.
Murray County Sheriff Gary Lankford and GBI special agent Greg Ramey said during a press conference today that two women are charged in the investigation so far.
The children's biological mother, Stephanie Elizabeth Stone, 34, was charged with cruelty to children, first degree, false imprisonment and possession of a controlled substance. Wanda Sue Redfern, 49, was charged with cruelty to children, first degree, and false imprisonment. The are being held without bond.
Lanford said deputies first responded around 11 a.m. Thursday to a 911 call at 530 Bahamas Drive in Chatsworth regarding a child left alone and was met by a woman later identified as Redfern and a small girl.
The deputy found an adult with the child so the deputy left.
A second call from the same caller came in around 3:15 p.m. provided additional information and asked for further investigation, Lankford said.
Again, deputies were met by Redfern and the little girl and they entered where they found two homemade cages, one empty and the other holding an 11-year-old boy.
Ramey described the boy and girl as "special needs children" but he said he could not comment on why the cages were being used.
The original caller has not been identified and the caller's relationship to the family is unknown, he said.
Ramey said a Department of Family Children Services had a case open with the family in the past but closed that case in June. Lankford said the sheriff's office was only involved through the state agency.
The children "were in relatively good condition and DFACS took custody of them," Ramey said.
The children are being checked out by medical officials today, Ramey said.
Ramey said the children were caged for "some period of time" but he couldn't say precisely how long the boy and girl were imprisoned.
Conditions in some parts of the home were "OK" but the area where the cages were kept were "less than anyone would want to live in," Ramey said.
The boy was being held in a makeshift cage made from two twin bed frames, combined with metal hinges and wire ties to hold the cage together.
The girl apparently was being kept in the other cage made of wooden bed frame parts with wood shelving added with screws to hold it together.
The boy "was calm but he was ready to get out of the cage and that was accomplished fairly quickly," said Ramey, who said he had never seen such a case.
Ramey said Redfern is about to marry into Stone's family. The children's father does not live at the residence but has been made aware of the situation.
Ramey said other arrests could be pending as the investigation continues.
Ramey, a 30-year-veteran agent and a father, called the investigation "a different kind of case."
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.