HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Brian Gregerson, 38, and Tammie Gregerson, 35, the parents of seven children found alone in a dirty motel room, appeared in a Cass County courtroom Thursday to plead not guilty to endangering the welfare of their children.
If convicted, each parent faces a maximum punishment of seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
A friend of 35-year-old Tammie Gregerson told FOX 4 News that the public doesn’t know the whole story about the couple. However, Gregerson declined to provide that other side to the story when asked.
Harrisonville Police say school administrators called them after the Gregerson’s children had not appeared in class for more than a week. When officers arrived at the Cortez Motel in Harrisonville, where the family was living, they found seven children and three cats alone, living in squalid conditions.
A judge told each parent Thursday that they are accused of leaving their children overnight without adult supervision. The kids range in age from three years old to 12 and are currently in custody of the state children’s division.
Leaving the courthouse Thursday, the children’s mother Tammie Gregerson, paused briefly when asked about her children.
“I don’t know anything,” she said. “And all the media does is twist everything around.”
Police said they found urine on the bed sheets of the motel room where the children were staying. Trash littered the floor and the cats had urinated on the room’s carpeting. Officers say there was only a small amount of food in the room.
The Gregersons allegedly told detectives they had arranged for another adult to look after the children while they were away. That woman told police she did not have enough money to feed the Gregerson kids in addition to the three of her own. Police say the caretaker admitted to leaving the seven children alone for more than 12 hours at a time.
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