The body of an abused six-year-old boy was found underneath the hallway of his mother’s home in Arkansas, leading to the arrests of the mother and her boyfriend.
State police said special agents were called by Lee County deputies Friday night to a home in Moro, which is located about 75 miles east of Little Rock, where the boy’s remains had been discovered buried beneath a floor.
Police said the boy may have been dead for up to three months.
“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 in a news release. “The state medical examiner will determine the manner and cause of death.”
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A six-year-old girl was also found in the home, according to police, who said they believe she suffered burns to her scalp. She was transported to a hospital in Memphis and is in stable condition.
The children’s mother Ashley Roland, 28, and Nathan Bridges, 33, were arrested by state police. They are both charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and endangering the welfare of a minor.
Bridges is presumed to be Roland’s boyfriend. It is unknown what led to the discovery.
The children’s grandmother had reportedly been attempting to gain custody for more than a year, according to a GoFundMe page posted by a friend. After working through the proper channels and paying a “ridiculous amount of money,” the grandmother received a court order last week allowing her to see the children on weekends, Anita Widby wrote on the fundraiser.
She had arrived at the home to pick up her grandchildren on Friday when she was told the boy was at a friend’s house and the girl could not walk.
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The grandmother then rushed the girl to the hospital after observing her condition. The child’s hair had been chopped off, she was malnourished, had cracked ribs, and had several burns on her body in various stages of healing.
“These injuries are presumed to be from her mother and the mother’s boyfriend,” Widby wrote.
Later that day, the grandmother was informed by police that her grandson’s body was found.
