North Carolina parents charged after their 'badly decomposed infant' was found buried in backyard
08/22/2022 12:12 pm PDT
ERWIN, N.C. (TCD) -- A couple was arrested after their deceased baby was reportedly found buried in their backyard.
According to WRAL-TV, on Friday, Aug. 19, a tip led the Erwin Police Department to respond to a home on Moulton Spring Road.
In a news release obtained by The Daily Record, authorities said, "Shortly after receiving this information, Erwin investigators executed a search warrant at the same address. With the assistance of Harnett County Sheriff’s Department’s cadaver canine, investigators discovered a deceased and badly decomposed infant buried behind the residence."
Police told WNCN-TV that the baby was a newborn, and authorities believe the victim "had been deceased for several months."
The parents, 28-year-old Dustin VanDyke and 18-year-old Gracie Riddle, were charged with first-degree murder, WRAL reports.
Riddle and VanDyke remain held without bond in the Harnett County Jail, records show. They were scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Aug. 22.
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