Sabrina Ray's mom pleads not guilty, records show

CHARLY HALEY   | The Des Moines Register

The adoptive mother of a 16-year-old Perry girl who died weighing 56 pounds has pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and other charges, court records show.

Misty Ray, 40, and her husband, Marc Ray, 41, were arrested Thursday in their home, 1708 First Ave., Perry, in connection with the death of their 16-year-old daughter, Sabrina Ray.

Sabrina was found dead May 12 in the First Avenue home, where her parents operated Rays of Sunshine daycare. Preliminary autopsy results show she suffered severe malnutrition and weighed 56 pounds when she died, police said. An official cause of death has not been released.

Misty Ray pleaded not guilty Monday, court records show.

Both she and her husband were charged with two counts of child endangerment causing serious injury, one count of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person and one count of child endangerment resulting in death, related to Sabrina Ray. They were also charged with two counts of child endangerment causing serious injury and two counts of neglect or abandonment in relation to the two other girls that were found in their home.

Entering a plea is a routine part of a criminal case that comes after being charged. Defendants in serious felony cases typically plead not guilty, giving their attorneys more time to investigate the allegations, negotiate plea agreements with prosecutors or make preparations for a trial.

Marc Ray also appeared in court Monday, but it appears he did not enter a plea, according to online court records.

Both Rays were booked into the Dallas County Jail on $1 million cash-only bonds.

Two girls, ages 10 and 12, were in the room with Sabrina Ray when Perry police found her dead, police said. Those girls were removed from the home and placed under a physician's care. A third child, a boy, also was removed from the home. All three children were placed under the care of the Iowa Department of Human Services, police said.

Sabrina reportedly had been adopted out of foster care, and she and her siblings were home-schooled.

Rays of Sunshine Daycare was visited by Iowa DHS inspectors and social workers in 2013, 2014, 2015 and last year after at least two complaints were lodged against the home, alleging inadequate nutrition for children and corporal punishment, public records show. Workers who visited reported they found no evidence of abuse at the time.

Register reporter Grant Rodgers contributed to this report.