TULSA -- Tulsa Police have arrested a father accused of locking away his children in a home without running water or air conditioning in east Tulsa.
Police have also issued an arrest warrant for the children’s mother.
Arrest warrants for the suspects, Adam Hemphill and Shamecio Willis, were issued early Thursday morning. A court affidavit reveals the children claim to have been locked away repeatedly for several months, for days at a time.
Tulsa Police are connecting the dots to the case of possible child neglect.
On June 23, officers made a shocking discovery near 25th and Garnett. Four children, ages 10 to 11, found around 5 a.m. without adult supervision, were reportedly living in unbearable conditions.
Investigators said they found the children barricaded inside the home, and the front door was blocked by a bunk bed.
Police said inside, four bedrooms in the house were closed shut with boards and rope, and two children were found locked inside rooms. Court records show one of the children was found locked in the room completely nude. The two others reportedly managed to escape, and one is documented as only wearing a t-shirt.
Court records show the home had no running water, no gas, no air conditioning, and little food or furniture. Police said there was also an overwhelming smell of urine and feces.
Officials realized the children were forced to urinate on themselves or into the air vents, according to the affidavit. Police said the children appeared hungry.
The children claim in court records that their parents, Adam Hemphill and Shamecio Willis, locked them away in a house five miles from their own, because they misbehave.
The affidavit said the father did feed his children rice and beans 2 to 3 times a day.
Nearly three weeks after the initial discovery by police, Hemphill turned himself into police, claiming he only locked his kids away 2 hours prior to the discovery.
2 Works for You tried to interview the suspects' neighbors, but no one wanted to be associated with this story.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
