A couple from North Carolina is accused of killing a newborn. Dustin Vandyke, 28, has been confirmed as the father, and Gracie Riddle, 18, has been recognized as the mother, according to local sources.
According to The Daily Record, cops received a tip about an unreported death that occurred some months ago on a farm on Moulton Spring Road in the town of Erwin.
Authorities Tipped About Newborn Baby Buried in Backyard
Erwin detectives executed a search warrant at the same location shortly after getting this information, according to authorities. Investigators discovered a lifeless and highly decomposed infant buried behind the property with the help of the Harnett County Sheriff's Department's cadaver canine.
Though an autopsy is being performed, authorities suspect this was a homicide. According to cops, based on evidence and interviews made throughout this investigation, authorities have charged both the mother and father of the baby with first-degree murder. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are anticipated.
Officers did not elaborate on why they suspected this was murder. They did not provide a cause of death, however, WRAL said that this death did not appear to be an accident.
They made no mention of a motive for the suspected murder or if the pair informed investigators anything. The infant was not identified. They had not yet determined the gender of the infant. Vandyke and Riddle are being held in the Harnett County Detention Center without bond for first-degree murder. The hearing is scheduled for Monday at 9 am.
Police claimed a family member alerted them to the buried youngster at about 9 pm on Friday. Investigators obtained a search order for the premises and brought a cadaver dog with them. Detectives are awaiting an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, but they believe it was not an accident.
The autopsy will also confirm the child's gender and age, while Erwin Police Chief Jonathan Johnson stated that the youngster seemed to be a newborn. Investigators also suspect the family member who gave the information was aware of the youngster for some time before reporting it, Crime Online reported.
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Crimes in North Carolina Surge
According to a published report, over half of North Carolina's law enforcement agencies failed to disclose a full year's worth of crime statistics to the FBI. The Marshall Project discovered that 293 of the 531 entities across the state - or 55 percent - supplied such data for the entire year 2021, leaving 45 percent out.
North Carolina is ranked 18th in the country in this category. Rhode Island placed top, with 92 percent, while agencies in three other states - Florida, Delaware, and Pennsylvania - had less than one percent.
The Marshall Project discovered that 40% of the country's nearly 18,000 law enforcement agencies failed to disclose that data in 2021, when the FBI changed the way it gathers that data, transitioning to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The modification enables the collection of more precise information about each incidence.
In North Carolina, the organizations that represent the most people performed the greatest job of reporting those numbers; they represent 87 percent of the state's 10.4 million inhabitants. This includes police agencies in the state's major cities: Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville were among those who fulfilled the standard, as per WNCN Raleigh via MSN.
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