Two charged with child neglect after infant’s death, other children living in ‘deplorable conditions’

Richland County sheriff's deputies charged two people with unlawful neglect of a child on Thursday after an investigation revealed the child, and others, were living in deplorable conditions, according to department officials.

Sheriff Leon Lott said 22-year-old Shaynece Medlock and 27-year-old Marcus Aaron Scott have both been charged with four counts of unlawful neglect of a child in connection with the case.

Lott said sheriff’s deputies dispatched to a local hospital after receiving a call from the Richland County Coroner’s Office about an infant’s death. According to reports, Scott called 911 when the couple discovered the infant to be unresponsive. The child was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Further investigation into the infant’s death revealed that there were twelve people living, including three of Scott’s children ages 4,3 and 2, in a home located in the 400 block of Castle Ridge Drive a few streets away from Clemson Road. During a search of the home, investigators found the living conditions inside the home were deplorable, according to Lott.

Lott said the home had a horrible stench, trash throughout the house, moldy food and hundreds of alive and dead flies. The remaining children were not in the home at the time of the search.

On Thursday, investigators returned to the home to serve arrest warrants for Medlock and Scott and the children were placed in the custody of Richland County Department of Social Services. The infant’s cause of death has not been determined and the investigation continues.

Lott said both Medlock and Lott received $40,000 bonds.

This story was originally published June 10, 2015 at 8:28 AM.