Child’s caretaker, man arrested after missing 4-year-old girl’s body is found near cemetery
11/17/2023 4:52 pm PST
WHITLEY COUNTY, Ky. (TCD) -- Two people were arrested after investigators found what they believe is the body of a missing 4-year-old girl who has not been seen since September.
On Nov. 14, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office put out a news release saying 4-year-old Chloe Darnel and her caretaker, Brittany Slaughter, were reported missing and likely traveling in a red 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer with a mismatched bumper. Investigators located the car Nov. 16 and found Slaughter in the area later that day. She was listed as "unharmed."
Darnel, however, remained missing.
In an update on Friday, Nov. 17, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office announced Slaughter, 24, and Adam Hayes, 34, were arrested on charges of murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. Investigators found a body they suspect to be Darnel’s and sent the remains to the medical examiner’s office.
WYMT-TV reports law enforcement officials discovered the body in a grave near a cemetery.
The Sheriff’s Office said additional charges could be possible as the investigation continues.
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