No baby sitter was caring for five small children who perished in a Larimer house fire or the two 8-year-old boys who escaped the inferno last Tuesday, a Pittsburgh police investigation has concluded.

	KDKA-TV Shakita Mangham Click photo for larger image.

The week-long probe has determined that Shakita Mangham, the mother of three of the victims, lied when she told detectives that her four children and three children of a close friend had been left in the care of a 17-year-old girl before the fire broke out.

Ms. Mangham, 25, in whose home at 6429 Winslow St. the fire occurred, had told detectives she wasn't certain of the baby sitter's name but it was either LaShawn Smith or LaShawn Smithfield. Further embellishing the story, she said the girl lived on or near Shetland Avenue and belonged to a neighborhood group of teens who call themselves "The Crew."

Given that information, police intensely searched and even asked for the public's help through the media in hopes of locating her, but no such person was found and authorities now believe she never existed.

"Police do not believe whatsoever a baby sitter was involved," Lt. Kevin Kraus said yesterday afternoon, declining to elaborate further on the investigation.

Also yesterday, homicide and arson investigators questioned Ms. Mangham, who arrived at police headquarters on the North Side accompanied by her attorney, James M. Ecker. The pair left after about an hour.

"She is very, very depressed and very, very upset, She is cooperating with police, and they are being very, very kind to her," Mr. Ecker said later, declining to elaborate on what was discussed.

Mr. Ecker said his client has not been charged and "nobody told us anything about charges. I guess no news is good news, but we'll have to wait and see."

Expected to meet with investigators today or tomorrow is the other mother, Furaha Love, also 25, of Hazelwood, who lost two children in the fire. Like Ms. Mangham, her lifelong friend, Ms. Love is expected to be accompanied by an attorney when she comes in for questioning.

As part of the investigation, police have attempted to determine whether the mothers were at Daddy B's New Jug tavern in Lincoln-Lemington, about a mile from Ms. Mangham's home, before the fire was reported at 1:23 a.m.

Those who died in fire were Ms. Mangham's children, Dezekiah Holyfield, 3, Cedano Holyfield Jr., 4, and Daekia Holyfield, 7, and Ms. Love's children, Azequel Rankin, 5, and Andre Rankin, 6.

The two 8-year-old boys, Jevon Irwin, Ms. Mangham's son, and Huedon Chambliss, Ms. Love's son, survived the fire, and police are trying to determine whether they started it by playing with matches.

Once homicide detectives conclude their probe, possibly this week, they will meet with the Allegheny County district attorney's office to discuss with prosecutors whether criminal charges are appropriate and, if so, who should be charged and what those charges should be.