Two parents facing felony charges of cruelty to children in Effingham County appeared in court Thursday to hear preliminary details of the case against them and to request a bond be set by a judge.
41-year-old Samuel Raleigh and 31-year-old Rebecca Gerdmann were arrested on April 7 amid an investigation prompted by a report made by one of their six children the day before. Raleigh, 41, has three children from a previous relationship – children aged 18, 16, and 14, and Raleigh and Gerdmann share three children, ages 9, 8, and 4.
Initial Report
According to testimony offered Thursday, one of the children had an argument with Gerdmann on the evening of April 6. She asked her friends to pick her up and take her to a Dollar General where she made a report to law enforcement regarding ongoing neglect and child cruelty. When a deputy responded, she shared details of the home environment, provided pictures and videos, and detailed complaints made by the school officials which led to DFCS inquiries. Reportedly, teachers had notated issues with cleanliness, hygiene, and odor with regard to the children, as well as behavioral issues and incidents involving self-harm. The teenager reportedly told the deputy that Raleigh’s response to school complaints was to homeschool the children so there would not be any more complaints.
After reviewing photo and video evidence and taking a report, the deputy turned the case over to the Criminal Investigations Division.
Investigator Testifies on Condition of Home
An investigator with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office testified Thursday that upon reviewing the photos and videos, he obtained a search warrant for the home and investigators traveled to the home with a DFCS worker.
“The outside of the mobile home did not look terrible, but I didn’t suspect what I was about to find,” – ECSO investigator.
The investigator testified that three children, one of whom is eighteen, opened the door for investigators as Raleigh and Gerdmann were not present.
“The odor was overpowering, so much so that my eyes began to water,” the investigator shared, detailing that the children were wearing dirty pajamas and appeared not to have washed in some time. “I was in shock. The smell was overwhelming. There was animal feces, urine, and trash, dirty clothing scattered everywhere. It was not clean.”
Other details described in testimony:
- What used to be a white couch was in the living room which appeared moldy and filthy.
- A day bed was also in the living room with no sheet.
- Black mold on the walls due to living conditions.
- In the kitchen, the floor was torn up, dirty dishes were in the sink and counters and had not been washed in some time. The fridge was “filthy” with very little food inside and one plate with green mold.
- “There didn’t appear to be food in the residence.”
- The laundry room had a washer and dryer but the floor was covered in trash, trash bags, and dirty clothes.
- A cubby area near the laundry room was covered in animal feces and urine, appearing to be the area where animals used the bathroom.
- Children’s bedroom #1 – The bedroom had so many items in it that investigators could not physically get into the room. It was full of storage items, a washer and dryer, and stuff was piled up everywhere. There was no bed..
- Children’s bedroom #2 – One bedroom had two beds in it. Two of the children had been sleeping on the couch.
- Children’s bathroom – It was filthy with an unserviceable toilet. The sink did not appear in working condition and was full of trash. Two chicken coops were in the tub. No personal hygiene items or soap were visible.
- Master bedroom – The investigator described an overwhelming odor of marijuana, a daybed covered in dirty clothing and trash, and a gaming computer station next to the master bed.
- Master bathroom – The toilet appeared to have feces all over it, trash covered the floor and sink, and the bathtub was not serviceable. “The smell was absolutely horrible.”
- A pig, two dogs, and several cats also lived inside the home, there appeared to be no water or feeding stations for any of the animals.
While investigators were on scene, Raleigh and Gerdmann returned to the home. They were arrested shortly thereafter on five counts of Cruelty to Children in the 1st degree and three counts of Cruelty to Animals and the children were transported to the Sheriff’s Office. There, deputies and investigators ordered food, obtained clothing, and gave each of them the opportunity to bathe. Forensic interviews were also conducted and DFCS evaluated placement of the children.
Ongoing Investigation
The investigator told the court that following the arrest of Raleigh and Gerdmann, the investigation continued, including conducting interviews with school administrators and teachers who affirmed that complaints had been ongoing for years.
Investigators also learned that one of the children had been treated at the hospital for a number of symptoms stemming from ‘anemia due to malnutrition.’ and DFCS had been to the home in the past. Following a recent evaluation, it was determined that one of the younger children is under-developed due to a lack of engagement by the parents.
In other noteworthy testimony, the investigator shared that his independent inquiry revealed that Gerdmann and Raleigh received $1,700 a month in food stamps until the oldest child reached the age of eighteen. After that point, they continued to receive roughly $1,400 per month.
“[Raleigh] said Rebecca was in charge of that and he didn’t know how much they received but the benefits were usually gone within a week or two,” the investigator said. “They only care now because they’ve been caught.”
Cross Examination
On cross examination,defense attorneys pressed on the specifics of the home, such as the condition of the mobile home when the family moved in in March of 2025. The investigator testified that the property manager indicated the mobile home was in need of some minor repairs at move-in, but that the condition had declined significantly.
Attorneys also inquired further about food and groceries. The investigator testified that the children usually ate one time per day and it was takeout food. “No breakfast, lunch only at school, and some nights there was no dinner.”
The investigator testified that Raleigh told investigators he’d checked out and repeatedly said, “I don’t know. I should have paid more attention.”
Martha Hall, attorney for Rebecca Gerdmann, offered a different story, including one that placed Gerdmann as the breadwinner, working five days a week at a fast food restaurant and filling in extra hours with DoorDash. Hall suggested that Gerdmann often left the older children to care for the younger children because she was out working one of the two jobs and presented grocery store receipts for weeks leading up to the arrest. She told the court that the DFCS safety plan allows for supervised contact with the children by both Gerdmann and Raleigh and suggested that while the photos were ‘deplorable,’ Gerdmann was making efforts to provide for her family.
In arguing against bond, Assistant District Attorney Mark Daniel called the acts “a total and complete willful abdication of parental responsibility and oversight.”
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Michael Muldrew determined that there was enough probable cause to bind the case over for grand jury consideration. He denied bond due to the risk of intimidating witnesses, specifically the children, and were a danger to the community. He also barred both Gerdmann and Raleigh from having further contact with the children.
