New Hampshire

Woman Behind Bars for Child Abuse Arrested on Bigamy Charge

A New Hampshire woman already behind bars in a child abuse case has been charged with marrying a man -- while she was still married to her first husband.

Londonderry police said Samantha Grenier was arrested at a state prison in Goffstown on multiple charges on Friday, including bigamy and falsifying physical evidence, after they launched an investigation in July 2017.

Grenier, already reportedly serving a 15-year sentence after her two young children were found confined to their human waste-soaked beds in their Manchester home in 2016, allegedly created a false email address and disguised herself as her lawyer in an attempt to get her boyfriend to marry her.

Police said they believe Grenier did this in an effort to receive leniency during the sentencing phase.

Grenier and her boyfriend, who was not identified by police, were married by a justice of the peace at Londonderry's town hall while she was still married to James Grenier, according to police.

Both Samantha and James Grenier were charged in November 2016 after officers said they found their then-2-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son living in "extremely unsanitary and unsafe conditions" in the couple's Manchester apartment on Quirin Street.

Officers found Grenier's son strapped to the top bunk of a bed with a child proof lock, covered with feces and urine. Her daughter was found unclothed and in her own feces inside of her crib.

James Grenier was also sentenced to at least 15 years in prison following his guilty plea last year.

Samantha Grenier, who was later found and arrested in Spring Hill, Florida, on a fugitive from justice charge after failing to show up for a hearing, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two charges of endangering the welfare of a child and four charges of felony criminal restraint.

As part of her sentencing for her role in the child abuse case, Grenier was forbidden to have any contact with her children for 25 years.

Grenier was due to be arraigned on Tuesday. It's unclear if she has an attorney representing her in this case.

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