The parents of a North Carolina baby who had been dead for months have been charged with murder after authorities used a cadaver dog Friday night to help find the child’s body in Erwin, police said.
28-year-old Dustin VanDyke and 18-year-old Gracie Riddle were charged with first-degree murder after the baby’s body was found where the couple lived, according to Erwin Police Chief Jonathan Johnson.
Authorities began investigating about 9 p.m. Friday after police received a report that a baby had died and its death had not been reported, Johnson said.
“Officers investigated it and executed a search warrant on the property last night,” Johnson said on Saturday, adding that a K9 from Harnett County was called in to help find the body.
The baby was a newborn at the time of death and “had been deceased for several months,” Johnson said.
More charges are likely as the investigation continues, Johnson said. So far, authorities have not been able to determine the gender of the baby.
Riddle and VanDyke are both being held without bond in the Harnett County Jail. They are scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Monday, according to jail records.
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