Murfreesboro Detectives Arrest Negligent Mother, Advocate Child Safety

By Liz Butram

          MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Murfreesboro Police responded to a call made by a Central-Murfreesboro resident who witnessed two unsupervised children in diapers playing in a puddle at approximately 10:30 a.m. on April 19.

            Detectives Tannas Knox and Tommy Roberts were contacted to help with the case after patrol officers had no luck finding the parents of the small children. The mother, 21-year-old Amber Warnack, was eventually located after detectives Knox and Roberts went door to door asking neighbors for information.

            Roberts said that Warnack appeared to be “out of it” and believed the mother was exchanging sexual favors for drugs. The use of cocaine, prescription pills, and barbiturates was apparent after further investigation and a drug screen, according to Knox.

           Throughout the incident, Warnack repeatedly insisted to investigators and the media that she is not a bad mother despite losing track of her children in the cold.

           “I truly think she is a good mom and simply made a mistake,” Knox said.

            “I think this really was an accident, and all we can really hope for is that she learned her lesson from this and will get her life on track,” Roberts said.

           Warnack was charged with child endangerment and booked in the county jail. The Department of Children’s Services placed the children in the care of family members, reported Knox.

Knox and Roberts are part of Murfreesboro Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and have been partners for years. They specialize in cases involving the mistreatment of children. Negligent mothers account for a significant portion of the cases they see on a yearly basis. The Warnack case is one of the milder ones they’ve seen in a while, according to Roberts.

           “Murfreesboro is home to a large amount of young mothers, and many are single and need help,” explained Knox.

          From her observations, Knox believes young, single mothers are more likely to leave their children with someone untrustworthy due to the fact that they need help and do not have many options. Children who are left with these acquaintances are more susceptible to becoming victims of rape or other crimes, according to Knox.

          “If a 25-year-old male is volunteering to watch your child, a red flag should be going up in your head,” said Knox.

          Knox and Roberts both advise mothers to be aware of the people they allow around their kids, and say that simply because someone is a teacher, preacher, or police officer, they shouldn’t be disregarded as a potential threat.

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