Arkansas State Police special agents are still investigating the discovery of a child’s body that had been buried under a home near Marianna over the weekend. A second child found in the home is currently in stable condition at a Memphis hospital, reportedly with burns to the scalp.
The body of a 6-year-old boy was discovered buried below a hallway floor inside the Lee County home Friday night. According to a media release, special agents of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division were called to the scene by Lee County sheriff’s deputies about 10:45 p.m.
Agents are also investigating injuries, believed to be burns to the scalp, sustained by a 6-year-old girl who also lived in the same home located in the Moro community, west of Marianna.
Ashley Roland, 28, the mother of the children, and Nathan Bridges, 33, have been arrested by the state police and are being held at the Lee County Jail.
Both are charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Based on initial findings, it’s believed the boy died from injuries sustained in the home, possibly three months ago, state police said. The state medical examiner will determine the manner and cause of death.
A GoFundMe page says the children’s grandmother had reportedly been trying to get custody of the kids for “over a year.”
An article in the Sunday New York Post said the grandmother was recently afforded 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, according to the Post.
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