Aberdeen, WA dad arrested in connection with death of 4-year-old son
Aberdeen police arrest father in child death
Aberdeen police arrested a 36-year-old father for murder and unlawful disposal of remains after discovering his 4-year-old son's body buried in his yard.
ABERDEEN, Wash. - An Aberdeen man was arrested early Thursday morning in connection with the death of his 4-year-old son, accused of burying the boy's body on his property.
Timeline:
Aberdeen police officers originally responded to a missing child complaint on May 12 involving the suspect's 6-year-old daughter. Investigators determined she was safe with her mother in a non-criminal custody matter.
After following up, detectives asked about the whereabouts of the suspect’s 4-year-old son. The father claimed the child was staying with a relative out of state, according to police.
When officers contacted the relative, they were told the child was not and had never been in their care.
Detectives interviewed the father, which led to the discovery of the child’s body buried on the property. The circumstances surrounding the boy's death are still under investigation.
On May 15, Aberdeen detectives and the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team recovered remains buried on the property.
The father was booked on felony charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He also faces misdemeanor charges of unlawful disposal of remains and making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.
"My daughter said she saw dirt between the tree and the house," said Tammy Pratt, who lives in a duplex that is connected to the suspect's home. "I have grandkids that come here and play too. I won’t let them go back there."
As of Thursday, the father was being held at the Aberdeen City Jail, pending transfer to Grays Harbor County Jail.
Dig deeper:
During the early days of the investigation, Representative Jim Walsh, whose district includes Aberdeen, drew comparisons to this current situation and the Oakley Carlson case.
Walsh told FOX 13 Seattle he fears this current Aberdeen case may be due to a state law that he says prioritizes keeping children with their biological parents, despite dangerous situations within the home.
Lawmaker demands child welfare changes
A young boy was found dead and buried in an Aberdeen backyard after being returned to his biological parents from foster care, prompting a state lawmaker to call for immediate changes to child welfare laws.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Aberdeen Police Department.
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