Muncie PD: Parents kept kids in home piled with trash, feces, no running water

MUNCIE, Ind. — Court documents reveal that six children, all under the age of 14, lived in a home deemed “unfit for human habitation.”

Jademan England, 32, and Laura Stilts, 34, were arrested on Thursday on six preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent, each a Level 6 felony.

According to court documents, Muncie police officers were first called out to the couple’s home on S. Burlington Drive on Oct. 24 due to Stilts’s mother, Mary, requiring medical attention.

At the time, police officers and Adult Protection Services workers were denied access to the home with England carrying out the sick Mary Stilts and placing her in a wheelchair. Mary Stilts would end up being taken to the hospital and passing away shortly afterward.

On Nov. 5, police officers and social workers returned to the home on Burlington Drive with the Delaware County Health Department to check on the conditions of the home, where six young children were known to live.

Social workers and health department workers donned suits and masks before entering the home due to the pungent smell. The home was quickly discovered to be in deplorable condition with so much trash and animal waste that it was difficult to walk— the floor not even visible.

Piles of animal feces were found next to mattresses that were stained with food and human waste. Three beds and three recliners were the only sleeping accommodations in the house, which was occupied by nine people, including Laura Stilts’ recently deceased mother.

Officers reported bird cages with piles of feces and a kitchen inaccessible due to the amount of trash and clutter. The home appeared to have no running water or working toilets, investigators said.

England reportedly confessed to being aware of the horrid conditions of the home, admitting they were not appropriate for children, according to police. He reportedly told officers the home’s condition had gotten worse since Laura’s mother became sick.

Court records reveal this isn’t the first time England has been arrested for neglect of a dependent, however. In January 2023, he was charged with one count of neglect. He ended up pleading guilty and being placed on probation for one year.

At this time, official charges have not been filed against either England or Laura Stilts. The Delaware County Prosecutor will make final charging decisions.

In Indiana, a Level 6 felony carries a maximum sentence of two and a half years in prison.