Latest news with #WendyBailey
Daily Mail
31-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Mother offers new courtroom excuse over death of baby boy with sad eyes
The mother and grandfather of a dead baby boy are attempting to avoid possible criminal responsibility over his death by citing mental health problems. Wendy Pamela Jean Bailey, 23, and her father, John Elton Bailey, pleaded not guilty to domestic violence, abuse of a corpse and aggravated child abuse, claiming 'mental disease or defect'. They were charged after human remains believed to be Bailey's one-year-old son Kahleb Collins were discovered on the family's Alabama property in May. Investigators realized Kahleb was missing after his father, Steven Collins, and his two–year–old sister, Ryleigh, were killed in a car accident in Fayette County on December 8. Bailey was also in the car accident and sustained injuries that landed her in hospital, prompting the police to ask questions about her son's whereabouts. They eventually determined that the baby had last been seen on September 9. Bailey was arrested and charged in connection to her son's death on December 30 last year. Human remains believed to be Kahleb's were found near a burn pile on the family's property in Fayette, according to investigators who have yet to formally provide a positive identification. The baby had been restrained with zip ties at least twice and suspended from the ceiling, according to court documents. A grand jury indictment dated March 19 listed six charges against Bailey, including aggravated child abuse, four counts of first degree domestic violence assault and abuse of corpse. According to the indictment Bailey, 'did torture, willfully abuse, cruelly beat, or otherwise maltreat the said KRC [Khaleb] by acts taking place on more than two occasions'. The grand jury filings detailed how Bailey allegedly 'did cause serious physical injury' by binding or tying Kahleb with zip ties or ligatures to a chair or other object. Kahleb was restrained or suspended from a ceiling, according to the court documents. Kahleb's father allegedly sent pictures to Bailey of their son hanging from a rope with blood on his body, as well as a photo of him lying on the floor with extreme bruising, followed by the messages, 'He want [sic] move,' and 'Im [sic] so sorry,' according to court records obtained by WBRC. Collins then sent a message stating, 'He moving' to which Ms. Bailey responded, 'He just looks wore out and tried [sic] and hurt hopefully that's all,' according to court records. Kahleb's body was placed in a bag and stored outside prior to disposal, according to court documents. Bailey also allegedly told investigators that Collins sent her a text message saying he was going to kill their son. The mother's domestic violence and child abuse charges stem from incidents in July 2024. The abuse of the corpse allegedly happened on September 29, weeks after Kahleb's last confirmed sighting on September 4, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. 'This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who loved Kahleb,' Sheriff Byron Yerby of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said. 'While this discovery brings a measure of closure, it is also a solemn reminder of the responsibility we all share in protecting our children. We are committed to continuing the pursuit of justice in this case.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Remains of missing Alabama toddler found; mother and grandfather charged
The Brief Remains of 1-year-old Kahleb Collins were found in a burn pile at his family's Alabama home. His mother, injured in a December crash, allegedly hid his body for months and is now facing multiple charges. Authorities say Kahleb was abused by his father, and both the mother and grandfather are now charged. FAYETTE COUNTY, Ala. - Alabama authorities believe they have found the remains of a toddler missing since last year. The Fayette County Sheriff's Office said the remains of one-year-old Kahleb Collins were found last week in a burn pile in the family's residence. The backstory Authorities said Kahleb was initially reported missing by his mother following a car crash in December 2024. The crash also killed another two-year-old child, who was unrestrained, and the father, who later succumbed to his injuries. His mother, Wendy Pamela Bailey, was injured in the crash. However, the mother told investigators that Kahleb died and that his body was kept in a bag in a storage shed before being moved, according to a criminal complaint filed in December. Investigators suspect Kahleb died in September or October, according to the complaint. Bailey was arrested in December on charges of child abuse, domestic violence, and abuse of a corpse. What they're saying "This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who loved Kahleb," Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby said. "While this discovery brings a measure of closure, it is also a solemn reminder of the responsibility we all share in protecting our children. We are committed to continuing the pursuit of justice in this case." Investigators believe the boy's father, Steven Bradley "Brad" Collins, had physically abused Kahleb, according to the court records. The charges accuse the mother of failing to report or intervene in the abuse and of knowing about his body being placed in an outdoor storage shed. The complaint details some of the alleged abuse. It notes that in July, Steven Collins sent Bailey pictures of the bloodied boy hanging from a rope and of him lying bruised on the floor. Investigators said he then sent messages saying, "He want move" and "I'm so sorry" and finally "He moving." Investigators said Bailey replied, "He just looks wore out and tired and hopefully that's all." What's next In addition to Bailey already being charged, authorities have also charged Kahleb's grandfather, John Elton Bailey. The Source The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from statements by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, details from a criminal complaint filed in December 2024, and court records related to the investigation. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Horrendous discovery in pile of ashes months after baby boy vanished
Human remains, believed to be those of a missing one-year-old Alabama boy, were tragically discovered in a burn pile on the family's property. Kahleb Rowan Collins, 1, of Fayette County, was reported missing following a car crash near his Winfield home in December of 2024, which claimed the lives of his father, Steven Collins, 40, and his two-year-old sister, Ryleigh. However, investigators later learned that Kahleb had not been seen for more than three months prior to the crash, ultimately leading to the arrests of his mother, Wendy Bailey, and his grandfather, John Elton Bailey. They were both charged with multiple offenses after being indicted by a grand jury last month, including domestic violence, abuse of a corpse, criminally negligent homicide and aggravated child abuse. On Thursday, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office announced that human remains had been discovered during multiple searches of the family's property, according to a department press release. ' After multiple searches at the property, officers recovered what was believed to be remains of Kahleb Collins located in a burn pile at the family residence,' Sheriff Byron Yerby said in the release. With the help of an anthropologist, authorities confirmed that some of the items recovered from the burn pile were indeed human remains. The evidence has since been sent to forensic experts for official identification. 'This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who loved Kahleb,' Yerby added. 'While this discovery brings a measure of closure, it is also a solemn reminder of the responsibility we all share in protecting our children. We are committed to continuing the pursuit of justice in this case.' The disappearance of the one-year-old toddler only came to light in 2024, several months after his family was involved in a fatal car crash. The crash claimed two lives, comprising a father who was behind the wheel and his two-year-old daughter - but it was what investigators didn't find at the crash scene that would rip open the family's twisted secret. On December 8, 2024, along the quiet backroads of Fayette County, Steven 'Brad' Collins was driving when his speeding pickup truck lost control at 92mph and slammed into a tree on Fayette County Road 73. The impact sent Collins and his fiancée, 22-year-old Wendy 'Pam' Bailey, flying from the vehicle. She was hospitalized in critical condition following the collision. Their two-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, was killed instantly. Investigators later learned she was not strapped in at the time of the crash. However, as first responders worked through the devastating scene, they soon realized that they were looking at just the tip of an iceberg of horror. Investigators eventually exposed allegations of wicked child abuse - and a mother's alleged complicity in it all. It was an out-of-state relative who asked the question that would ultimately crack the case wide open: 'Where's Kahleb?' The couple's one-year-old son was nowhere to be found. As investigators would soon discover, little Kahleb hadn't been seen since September 4 - more than three months before the deadly crash. On December 17, 2024, an Emergency Missing Child Alert was issued for Kaleb, according to KWTX News. From that point on, the shocking details began to emerge as multiple agencies searched for his whereabouts. According to documents from a criminal complaint obtained by Bailey made a series of chilling admissions from her hospital bed at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. The documents state that Bailey 'failed to report a missing child by delaying to make or failing to cause to be made the report with willful and reckless disregard for the safety of the child and the child suffered serious bodily harm or death, to with: physical injuries to the child and the child was removed from the home and taken to an unknown location and no report was made by any resident of the home'. The young mother revealed that her fiancé had sent her photographs of their baby boy - harrowing images showing the infant hanging from a rope in a loft, with his tiny body bloodied and bruised. 'He won't move,' Collins texted after sending the horrifying images, followed by 'I'm so sorry.' Shortly after, Collins messaged again: 'He's moving'. Bailey shockingly replied: 'He just looks wore out and tired and hurt hopefully that's all.' 'Wendy Bailey failed to intervene or notify law enforcement after she was made aware of the extreme circumstances and assault that had occurred to Kahleb Collins,' the documents stated. However, the most disturbing revelation was yet to come. Bailey confessed to investigators that after Kahleb's death, his small body was placed in a bag and stored in an outdoor shed 'for a brief period' before being moved to an unknown location, according to the documents. Photographs show the little boy bruised and face up lying on the ground as well as 'hanging from a loft with a rope with blood present on his body'. Just weeks before the crash, Collins posted a cryptic message on Facebook about his son's health. 'Our son s not doing well,' he wrote, as reported by AL News. 'He is not growing, has major back issues,' Collins added. 'His organs are growing but not his body. He has to have surgery at some point. Keep him in your prayers. Been rough and just seems going to be a long rough road ahead of us.' Bailey was arrested on December 1. She was released from the hospital and booked into the Fayette County Jail on a $100,000 bail. Bailey's father, 55-year-old John Elton Bailey, who lived with the family, was also charged with failure to report a missing child. 'As a result of the ongoing investigation, Wendy Pamela Bailey and John Elton Bailey have been arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including domestic violence, abuse of a corpse, criminally negligent homicide and aggravated child abuse,' the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said. 'Nothing further is available as the investigation remains ongoing.' The Fayette County Sheriff's Office has urged anyone with information related to the case to contact them at 205-932-3205.
