A mother in Indiana has been arrested after police discovered her severely disabled teenage daughter dead inside a filthy home that investigators described as unlivable.
Authorities say 41-year-old Liza Lindsay of Richmond faces felony neglect charges in connection with the death of her 19-year-old autistic daughter. She and her boyfriend, Daryl Grubbs, are also accused of mistreating Lindsay’s two sons, aged 13 and 15.
Police responded to a call about an “unresponsive female” at the family’s residence on July 24. According to an affidavit, the house at 1313 South 10th Street was filled with trash, used diapers, and overwhelming odors, reports WHIO-TV.
“When I entered the front door to the residence, I smelled a strong odor of what I can only describe as a combination of cat urine/feces and garbage,” a Richmond police detective wrote. He added that officers had to dig through “approximately a foot of trash and other items” while dodging fly strips covered with insects.
The victim’s bedroom, marked with a Minnie Mouse photo, contained piles of garbage and mold. The teenager, who was nonverbal, epileptic, wheelchair-bound, and suffered from multiple medical conditions, was found nearly naked inside a padded stall. “There was also a brown substance on the walls of the room,” the detective noted.
Indiana’s Department of Child Services removed Lindsay’s surviving children from the home. A health inspection later confirmed ammonia levels inside were dangerously high.
Lindsay reportedly told investigators the house “looked the way it did because she had been depressed.” She claimed doctors had taken her off depression medication in January 2025, but medical records contradicted her statement, showing she was still prescribed treatment.
According to the affidavit, Lindsay said the last time she saw her daughter alive was around 10:45 p.m. on July 23 after a one-minute seizure. She placed her in a recovery position and later went to her bedroom, where she stayed up watching videos on her phone.
Grubbs, who lived in the home and “acted like the children’s stepfather,” allegedly discovered the body. A family friend told police both adults had been violent toward the children in the past. Lindsay was released on bond on Friday, while Grubbs remains in custody. The investigation into the teen’s death and the alleged neglect of her brothers is ongoing.