Suspect arraigned in starved children case

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VIDEO The boyfriend of the biological mother of three boys found in the basement of a New Jersey home was arraigned on sexual assault and endangerment charges. CNN's Beth Nissen reports (January 9) PLAY VIDEO

NEWARK, New Jersey (CNN) -- The boyfriend of the biological mother of three boys found in the basement of a Newark home this week was arraigned Wednesday on sexual assault and endangerment charges.

Two of the boys, ages 5 and 7, were starved and beaten and a third, age 7 -- the twin brother of the other 7-year-old -- was found dead.

Joe Reese, charged with sexually abusing one of the twin boys, was arraigned Wednesday afternoon. Police are not saying which of the boys was allegedly abused. The judge in Reese's arraignment said a grand jury will review his case.

Police and the FBI are still searching nationwide for Sherry Murphy, the woman who had been caring for the boys. She is a cousin of the boys' mother, police said

Meanwhile, the commissioner of the state's Department of Human Services declared a "state of emergency" in the Division of Youth and Family Services, and announced the suspension of a supervisor who authorized closing the file on the boys regarding the abuse charges.

The story broke Saturday, when Newark police were called to a home to check out a report that two boys were found locked in a basement.

The boys --Tyrone Williams, 5, and Raheem Williams, 7 -- had been starved, beaten and burned, said police. They were taken to a hospital, where they remain in fair condition.

During the search, Raheem told police he had a twin brother, Faheem, and police returned to the basement and found the boy's body in a container.

Reforms in case care

State Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn L. Harris announced several reforms of the DYFS, including measures that would not allow caseworkers to close any case with allegations of abuse or neglect.

The reform will require face-to-face contact with some 280 cases statewide in which abuse allegations have been made but the children have not been seen. It will also require "extraordinary investigative measures" to be used to find children in those cases who cannot be located, Harris said.

Harris also said she was taking action to suspend the DYFS supervisor who authorized closing the Williams case last February.

"While we continue to comb through the Williams family case file, it is crystal clear that this case was closed without a caseworker having recently seen the Williams children," said Harris in a statement. "This should never happen. My message today is: Do not, under any circumstances, close a case unless you have face-to-face contact with those children and have ensured their safety."

Authorities have been searching for Murphy, who was looking after the children while the mother, Melissa Williams, was in jail. After her release from jail in August, Williams said she could not find her cousin or the children.

After Williams was told the children had been found, she was on her way to see them when she was hit by a car. She is now hospitalized.

The FBI is also involved in the search for Murphy, potentially on charges of homicide.

--CNN's Jamie Colby contributed to this report

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