Police find dead teen, seven other children alive in ‘deplorable,’ ‘nauseating’ Idaho house

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — A teenager was found dead Thursday morning in a home described as being in “deplorable conditions” by Boise Police. Seven other children, all alive, were also found living at the house.

Boise Police responded to a call at 8:19 a.m. Thursday from a person who said they’d found their young teenage son dead at their residence on West Russet Street, located near the corner of Curtis Road and Fairview Avenue, according to a police news release Friday.

The Ada County Coroner continues to work on determining the cause and manner of death. The Boise Police violent crime detectives, who investigate all unattended deaths, are being assisted by Special Victims Unit detectives, who typically investigate cases of child neglect or injury.

Special Victims Unit Lt. Josiah Ransom described the conditions inside the home, according to the news release, as “deplorable, unsafe, and some of the worst he has seen in his career.” He added that the smell of the house was “nauseating” to officers on the scene and that it was not fit for habitation.

The seven children found alive in the house have been taken into the custody of the Department of Health and Welfare, according to the news release.

As of Friday afternoon, no charges have been filed. “We will not know until the investigation is complete if this teen’s death was due to an ongoing medical situation (or) complication or some other contributing factor,” Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said in the release. “And I express my sympathy for the passing of this young boy.”