The adoptive parents of a 16-year-old Perry girl found dead in her home have been arrested in relation to her death. On Friday, May 12 at approximately 6:30 p.m., the Perry Police Department and Dallas County Paramedics were called to 1708 1st Avenue in Perry on reports of an unresponsive teenage girl. Officers discovered the girl at the home, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was conducted on Monday by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner and final results are not expected for several weeks. The medical examiner did note severe malnutrition as the girl weighed only 56-pounds at the time of death. Her adoptive parents, 41-year-old Marc Ray and 40-year-old Misty Ray, both of Perry, have been arrested in connection to the death. Both are charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death, a class B felony, four counts of child endangerment resulting in serious injury and three counts of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, both class C felonies. They are currently being held in the Dallas County Jail on a one-million dollar bond. Three other minors in their care were removed from the home earlier this week, and two of the girls are currently under a physician’s care. The Rays operated an in-home daycare and have served as foster parents in the past. An investigation into the Rays is ongoing, and anyone with information regarding the inquiry is asked to contact the Perry Police Department at 515-465-4636.
