Woman is charged in Carbondale, IL, fire deaths of eight children; three of them her own

Jet, Sept 12, 1994

A Carbondale, IL, woman accused of leaving nine children alone hours before a house fire killed eight of them, recently was charged with eight counts of involuntary manslaughter, prosectors said.

The woman, Camilla Foulks, 25, also has been charged with one count of reckless conduct and one count of endangering the life or health of a child.

The house fire killed eight children, all related and ranging in ages from 5 months to 7 years old (JET, Sept. 5). An 8 year old, whose identity was not released, was the sole survivor.

Police said Ms. Foulks, the mother of three of the victims, was supposed to have been baby sitting the children. Police said she left the children alone for about three hours to visit a liquor store, a friend's house and a bar.

Investigators said the fire in Ms. Foulks' house was caused by one or more of the children playing with matches or a lighter.

Each count of involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. The remaining charges are misdemeanors with maximum sentences of 364 days in jail.