Two Massachusetts children — a brother and sister both under the age of 10 — were killed after they were trapped inside a hope chest inside their Franklin home.
The boy and girl went missing for an undisclosed period of time on Sunday. Family members then found them inside a chest, located next to a television that was being played loudly, The Associated Press reported. The family’s name was not released.
Authorities rushed the children to the hospital, where they later died, The New York Daily News reported.
The brother and sister were the youngest of five children, The Boston Globe reported. And a neighbor, Mary Delfino, said the remaining siblings were in a tough spot emotionally, after the children were pronounced dead.
“They were in bad shape,” she said to the paper. “They were crying and really sad.”
David Traub, a spokesman for the Norfolk District Attorney’s office, said the chest could not be unlocked from the inside.
“Several family members were home at the time of the incident,” Mr. Traub said, CBS Boston reported. “The hope chest was in relatively close proximity to a television that was apparently on with a substantial volume at the time.”
Mr. Traub said the family was cooperating with the investigation, but that no charges had been filed.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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