It’s been almost two years since the death of 16-year-old Sabrina Ray of Perry, and the matter is at long last resolved, as five people are headed to prison for their involvement.
Everything began on May 12, 2017 with a call to the Perry Police Department regarding a teenage girl who was unresponsive. Officers responded to the home of Marc and Misty Ray, and there they discovered the lifeless body of the couple’s adopted daughter, Sabrina. She had died of severe malnutrition at the hands of her adoptive parents, having weighed just 56 pounds when she was found. She was under the care of her adoptive cousin Josie Bousman at the time, as Marc and Misty were reportedly on a trip to Disney World.
After an investigation, Marc and Misty, along with Josie, their son Justin Ray, and Misty’s mother Carla Bousman were arrested for their connection to Sabrina’s death. Over the next 21 months, the trials for each suspect were delayed on several occasions, and a turning point came when Josie agreed to testify against the other four. The charges against the Ray family then began to mount, and the prospect of an increasingly airtight case spurred each suspect to reach plea agreements.
Justin was the first to plead guilty, accepting reduced charges of two counts of willful injury causing bodily injury, a class D felony. He was ordered to serve up to 10 years in prison. Shortly after that, Carla reached an agreement, and pleaded guilty to seven charges including: neglect of a dependant person, a class C felony; aggravated misdemeanors for obstructing prosecution, accessory after the fact, and two counts of child endangerment; and serious misdemeanors for two counts of false imprisonment. She was ordered to serve the maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The final pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place this past December, as Marc came to an agreement where he pleaded guilty to a class B felony for child endangerment resulting in death, and three class C felonies for third degree kidnapping. A few weeks later, Misty agreed to an arrangement of her own, pleading guilty to a class A felony for first degree kidnapping, and two counts of third degree kidnapping. At the plea hearing, Misty admitted that it was she who was the proverbial ringleader in the events leading to Sabrina’s death and the mistreatment of her other adopted daughters. The couple had a joint sentencing hearing, where Marc received up to 80 years in prison, and Misty was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years. They were also ordered to pay a total of $300,000 in victim restitution, which will go to Sabrina’s heirs at law.
With the other four sentenced, Josie’s testimony was no longer needed, and she also agreed to a plea arrangement. She pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent person, a class C felony, and two counts of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor. She was sentenced to up to 14 years in prison, though was given credit for time served. The prosecution credited Josie with her cooperation in the investigation and willingness to testify, and said they took that into account when negotiating her plea agreement.
The case was overseen by Fifth Judicial Court Judge Terry Rickers, and he wrapped things up by saying, “No one will ever forget what happened to Sabrina Ray, and heaven help us if we do.”
