Hearing set for teen in child abuse case

Boy arrested in death of youth found in basement

The boy's body was found and his two starving brothers were rescued from a house in this New Jersey neighborhood.

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NEWARK, New Jersey (CNN) -- The teenage boy arrested in connection with the death of his 7-year-old cousin -- whose body was found in a basement after his starving brothers were rescued -- faces a hearing in family court Tuesday to decide whether he should be sent to a secure juvenile facility.

The teen was arrested Friday on two counts of child endangerment and one count of aggravated assault. The 16-year-old is the biological son of Sherry Murphy, 41, who is also behind bars in the case.

She was left in charge of the boy, his twin and their 4-year-old brother while her cousin, Melinda Williams, the boys' mother, was serving a jail sentence.

The boy's body was found in the basement of a house belonging to Murphy, who has been charged with three counts of second-degree child endangerment. If convicted of all charges, she could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

A judge has revoked Murphy's bail because of a probation violation.

Sherry Murphy was arrested in connection with the discovery of two starving children and the body of a third locked in a basement.

Newark police say they are not ruling out additional charges now that the boy's death has been ruled a homicide.

On Wednesday, Joe Reese, the boyfriend of the boys' biological mother, was arrested and arraigned on charges of sexually abusing one of the twins before they moved in with Murphy.

Police found the boy's body a week ago in a plastic storage bin in Murphy's basement. Police had found his two brothers starving and dehydrated in Murphy's basement the previous day.

The two surviving brothers are listed in fair condition in a New Jersey hospital.

Newark Mayor Sharpe James said Williams was released from prison in August but could not find her cousin or her sons. She found out where they were about a week ago but was hit by a car shortly thereafter and remains in a hospital.

The case has sparked outrage and an investigation into the Department of Youth and Family Services, which was supposed to have been monitoring the boys' situation.

State Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn Harris has declared a "state of emergency" in the department and announced several reforms.

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