Malnourished twins found near dead mother

updated 12:54 a.m. ET Nov. 18, 2007

OLATHE, Kan. - Authorities responding to a report of a foul odor found malnourished 3-week-old twins under a bed in an apartment containing their mother’s decomposing remains.

Both infants were taken to a hospital Friday, where one, a girl, later died. Her twin brother was in critical condition Saturday. Authorities said their 36-year-old mother, Virginia Wanjiru Njoroge, appeared to have been dead for several days.

An autopsy found no evidence that foul play contributed to her death, police said.

Emergency crews who found the woman noticed car seats and other baby items in the apartment, leading to a more thorough search.

When a paramedic bumped the bed the twins were underneath, one of the babies made a faint cry. The other twin was too weak.

“It was a miracle the paramedic noticed the child seat in the apartment and that the police questioned where the children were,” said Eric Gourley, a Johnson County Med-Act battalion chief.

The surviving twin was “hanging on,” said Police Sgt. Jack Fahrnow.

The discovery shook emergency crews, who asked to see a chaplain upon returning to headquarters.

“Dealing with babies and small children is very stressful,” Gourley said. “The little ones get close to you.”

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