The two parents each face two counts after their young children died inside a burning recreational vehicle near Cleveland in August.
LIBERTY COUNTY, TX — Two parents have been charged with murder more than two months after their two young children died in an RV fire near Cleveland, authorities said, as investigators continue to disclose limited information about what led to the criminal charges.
Matthew Allen Chambers, 39, and Meaghan Michelle Herrod, 30, each face two counts in connection with the deaths, according to the Liberty County Fire Marshal’s Office and jail records. Authorities said the charges followed an investigation into the Aug. 11 fire, including evidence gathered at the scene and information obtained during interviews. Both parents were being held in the Liberty County Jail with total bond set at $1 million each. The charges are allegations, and publicly available information does not establish that either parent has been convicted.
The fire broke out at an RV on County Road 3819 in the Cleveland area of Liberty County. Emergency calls reported a recreational vehicle engulfed in flames with people believed to be inside. Cleveland firefighters responded and encountered heavy fire. Fire Chief Sean Anderson previously said the camper was beginning to collapse as crews arrived, but firefighters still entered the structure while trying to reach those inside.
Two young siblings were found dead after firefighters brought the blaze under control. Authorities have consistently said both victims were children younger than 5, though news reports have published differing accounts of their exact ages. Because of those discrepancies, officials’ broader description of the victims as two young siblings is the clearest confirmed account available from the public record reviewed for this story.
The camper was one of several RVs and mobile homes on the property, according to officials quoted in local reports. Investigators said family members and friends were living in the area. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, authorities were examining where the children’s parents were when the blaze started. Anderson said at the time that the parents were in the area and that their location and actions were part of the investigation.
The Liberty County Fire Marshal’s Office later said information developed through its scene investigation and subsequent interviews led authorities to charge the parents. The investigation was conducted with assistance from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence they say supports the charges or explained whether prosecutors believe the fire itself was intentionally set.
Chambers and Herrod were arrested Oct. 9 and taken to the Liberty County Jail, according to local reports citing authorities and jail records. Bond was set at $500,000 on each count, bringing the total to $1 million for each defendant. Public reports have described the charges as murder or felony murder. The fire marshal’s office has said each parent faces two counts tied to the deaths of the two children.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed Monday that both parents had previous involvement with Child Protective Services. The agency said Herrod and Chambers each had “a prior history with Child Protective Services,” but said further details would be available after its investigation is completed. Separately, court records reviewed by ABC13 showed Chambers pleaded guilty to child endangerment in a 2016 case. Authorities have not publicly said whether that earlier case played any role in the current investigation or charging decision.
Several questions about the Aug. 11 fire remain unanswered publicly, including its precise cause, the findings from the children’s autopsies and the specific conduct prosecutors allege supports the murder charges. The children’s bodies were taken to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office after the fire, according to local reporting, but detailed autopsy findings have not been publicly released in the reports reviewed for this story.
The Liberty County Fire Marshal’s Office has said the investigation remains active. Chambers and Herrod remained jailed in the latest available reports, while authorities had not publicly announced additional charges or released a detailed prosecution theory explaining how the evidence led investigators from a fatal-fire investigation to two murder counts against each parent.
Author note: Last updated October 13, 2026.