Arkansas police found the decaying body of an abused 6-year-old boy buried beneath the hallway floor of his mother’s house Friday.
Special agents made the gruesome discovery around 11 p.m. in Moro, a town about 70 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.
“Based on initial findings, it’s believed the boy died from injuries sustained in the home, possibly three months ago,” the Arkansas Department of Public Safety said.
The child’s sister, also 6 years old, who lived in the home was taken to the hospital with burns on her scalp, cops said. She is in stable condition
The children’s mother, Ashley Roland, 28, and Nathan Bridges, 33, were arrested and both charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and endangering the welfare of a minor.
The children’s grandmother, Karen, had reportedly been trying to get custody of the kids for “over a year,” a GoFundMe erected by a friend claims. After months of working through the proper channels, Karen was afforded this week a court order to see the children on the weekends.
A visit by the grandmother may have led to the discovery of her grandson’s body.
“She showed up to get her grandchildren … Friday and was told the youngest was at a friend’s house and the oldest couldn’t walk,” Anita Widby wrote.
Karen immediately took the girl to the hospital after seeing her deteriorated condition. The child’s hair had been chopped off and her body was covered in many burns in various stages of healing, Widby said. The girl was malnourished and had cracked ribs.
“These injuries are presumed to be from her mother and the mother’s boyfriend,” Widby said of Roland and Bridges.
Later that day, police notified Karen that her grandson’s body was found.
The state medical examiner will determine how the boy died in the coming weeks.