Trial opens for woman charged with murder in babies' deaths

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WORCESTER, Mass. — An attorney for a woman charged in the deaths of two babies whose remains were found in her squalid home says there is no evidence his client committed a crime.

Defense attorney Keith Halpern made the comments Tuesday as the trial opened in Worcester in the case against Erika Murray. Halpern says Murray has mental health issues.

Murray is charged with murder in the deaths of two of the three dead babies found in the trash-strewn and insect-infested Blackstone home in 2014. Four living children were removed from the home.

Prosecutor Christopher Hodgens said Murray's neglect caused the baby's deaths. He said Murray created "two different worlds for her children: a world of the wanted and a world of the unwanted."

A judge is deciding the case after Murray waived her right to a jury.

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