Parents Whose 10-Year-Old Daughter Died in House Fire Arrested on Appalachian Trail

A Georgia couple who had been on the run since their 10-year-old daughter died in a house fire on April 17th were arrested on Wednesday on the Appalachian Trail.

Carina McCue, 38, and William McCue, 47, of Loganville, Georgia, were wanted by police following the house fire that killed their daughter and led authorities to discover that the couple’s five children had been living in unsanitary conditions with no running water.

11Alive reported that warrants accused the parents of “preventing the children from leaving the property for most of their lives,” as well as depriving them of basic medical care, hygiene, nutrition, and education.

According to WSBTV-2, police said the toilets and showers in the home did not work and some of the children appeared not to know how to use toilet paper.

Their daughter’s remains were found in a windowless room that also contained a makeshift bed in a bathtub, according to authorities. The McCues’ 15-year-old son confessed to setting the fire and has been charged with murder. The other three children have been taken into protective custody.

The McCue parents initially fled after authorities issued warrants for their arrest. The Fugitive Unit of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office searched for the couple for two months before tracking them to Cleveland, Georgia, and ultimately arresting them on the Appalachian Trail on Wednesday. The McCues have been charged with cruelty to children and false imprisonment and are being held without bond.

Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it would not disclose specific details of the case as they could be pertinent to the lead investigative agency.

Featured image: William McCue (left) and Carina McCue (right). Photo via Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.