10-05-2025
Questions remain after remains of 1-year-old Kahleb Collins believed to be found
FAYETTE, Ala. (WIAT) – Human remains believed to be that of 1-year-old Kahleb Rowan Collins were sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences almost two months ago.
'I hope that's what they tell (investigators),' Charles Hodges said. 'It is his body.'
Hodges is a Glenn Allen resident, a small town in Fayette County that has gained a lot of attention.
'It goes on everywhere, but you never think it's going to happen where you live,' Hodges said.
Hodges drives through the intersection of U.S. 129 and Fayette County Road 73 daily. Sitting on the corner of that intersection is a single-family home.
Since December, residents like Hodges pass through. At times, the house was marked off by crime tape and swarming with law enforcement. It's the home of John Bailey.
Bailey is being held at the Fayette County Jail on the following charges:
One count of aggravated child abuse
Four counts of first-degree domestic violence
One count of abuse of corpse
One count of first-degree hindering prosecution
John Bailey is the grandfather of Collins. The child's mother Pam Bailey is also being held at the Fayette County Jail on the following charges:
One count of aggravated child abuse
Four counts of first-degree domestic violence
One count of abuse of a corpse
On the outside, that Glenn Allen house looks like a quiet and quaint family home, but court documents allege horrific things happened inside.
Photos and text messages exchanged between Pam Bailey and the child's father Steven Collins, who died in a fatal crash weeks after his son disappeared, reveal Collins was physically assaulted and hung by rope. His body was allegedly placed in a bag.
'She deserves everything she's going to get — both of them,' Hodges said.
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Hodges is a father and grandfather. The idea that someone would hurt their family is hard to comprehend, which is why Hodges said he hopes the remains are Kahleb's.
'He deserves that,' Hodges said. 'That kid didn't deserve what he got.'
For months, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said it has not found Collins. That changed Thursday.
'While this discovery brings a measure of closure, it is also a solemn reminder of the responsibility we all share in protecting our children,' Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby said in a statement.
It was a long process of sifting through almost a barrel of ash, Yerby said. The sheriff said law enforcement found human remains the size of a quarter well before it was shared with the public.
'It's a big deal,' Yerby said. 'They were actually found several weeks ago, but we were waiting on confirmation.'
They needed confirmation that it was in fact human remains. Now, the FCSO is awaiting confirmation they are Collins' remains.
'About six weeks ago, we sent the remains to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences,' Yerby said.
Given the time gap between when Collins went missing and when law enforcement found out, there was skepticism among some residents on whether or not he or his body would ever be found.
'I just didn't think he'd be in that burn pit,' Hodges said.
That's where remains were found, however, in a burn pile outside of the grandfather's house.
'We never gave up,' Yerby said. 'Our number one goal was to find Kahleb.'
The ADFS did not tell the FCSO when it could expect forensic results to come in. As of right now, the investigators are still waiting for confirmation, and Hodges feels there is a lot more to the story than anyone knows.
'This has been a long investigation, and a lot of stuff has gone on,' Hodges said. 'Still a lot to be answered.'
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