This is just strange, sad news.
A family of five was found living on a 28-foot sailboat moored where the Cyprus Creek meets the Magothy River. Two adults, one adult son, two under-aged boys, and two dogs were living on the boat when Natural Resources Police (NRP) attempted to rescue the family early in the week when an area resident reported seeing two children sitting on deck in blankets. The family refused help, and when the NRP returned a few days later to check in on the family, they found containers of human waste present, no electricity or running water on the boat, and no heat.
Severna Park Patch reports that "the (two) boys didn't come off the boat for weeks at a time and there is no indication when they attended school." John Kelly, the patriarch of the family, appeared with his wife Sherri in court to face charges of child abuse and neglect, since the boys were underweight and living in squalor. Kelly reportedly informed the judge that "he was a 'Constitutionalist' and that he would somehow be saved by the Geneva Convention," Lt. Beth Mauk told WTOP. Kelly and his wife have lived under multiple aliases in six states and have no permanent address.
No ruling has been made on what will happen to the boys, and the area where the boat sits is currently cordoned off to allow for further investigation.
For more, visit wjla.com.
