Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
A car crash that caused the deaths of a father and daughter has prompted police to investigate the whereabouts of another child who was noticeably missing from the vehicle.
Mom Wendy Pamela Bailey suffered critical injuries in the car crash that took place in Alabama on December 9, 2024, while dad, Steven Bradley Collins, and daughter, RyLeigh Denise Collins, sadly died of their injuries.
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As authorities investigated the incident, they questioned where Bailey's son, one-year-old Kahleb Collins, was at the time of the crash. In a statement, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said Kahleb was last seen in September 2024 in Winfield, Alabama.
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office was made aware that Kahleb seemed to be missing, and launched an investigation which uncovered chilling details.
In the weeks after the crash, the sheriff's office announced their belief that Kahleb is dead, though his body has not been recovered.
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"Law enforcement teams are still actively gathering information and searching for his remains," a statement from the sheriff's office said, adding that investigators believe Kahleb had been 'deceased for some time before his disappearance was brought to the attention of law enforcement'.
In the wake of the investigation, investigators with the Fayette County Sherriff's Office and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations charged Bailey, 22, with felony aggravated child abuse, felony first-degree domestic violence and felony abuse of a corpse.
The mother has also been charged with criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, in relation to the death of Ryleigh, who police say was not wearing a seatbelt in the car when it crashed.
John Elton Bailey, the grandfather of Kahleb, has also been charged for failing to report Kahleb missing.
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Charging documents made reference to disturbing images which had been shared by Collins which showed the alleged abuse of Kahleb.
Collins is also said to have told Bailey he was going to kill Kahleb.
The charges mark the latest update in relation to Kahleb after Collins wrote in a Facebook post in November that the young boy was ill and needed surgery.
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As reported by People, the post read: “He is not growing and has major back issues. His organs are growing but not his body. Keep him in your prayers. Been rough and just seems going to be a long rough tough road ahead of us."
According to the police's timeline, the post came weeks after Kahleb was last seen.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Emily Brown