A Cabell County couple has been charged with the murder of a two-year-old autistic child for causing his death by failing to get him medical aid and then trying to dispose of his body in the Ohio River in West Virginia.
Tonya Sloan and her boyfriend Anthony Milam, both aged 27 years, are facing first-degree charges for the death of Sloan's nephew Hevin Dakota Jenkins. Earlier on Monday, Sloan called the 911 and claimed that her car was stolen from outside a store on Teays Valley Road with Jenkins still in it. A search of the area by the police resulted in the car being found close by within an hour.
However, Jenkins was not found in the car and his whereabouts are not known. The toddler was living with his aunt for a few weeks, even though he usually stayed with his mother Amy White in Logan.
According to the police, the couple later admitted that the boy died in Sloan's house on December 15 due to a medical emergency. The two allegedly put Jenkins' body in a bag and tossed it into the Ohio River and hatched a plot to cover their deeds by reporting him missing.
Huntington trooper J M Parde said Sloan called 911 on Monday. “Her call to 911 and all the events that led up to yesterday were complete fabrications. Why were they in Putnam County? It was just a complete fabrication to come up with a story,” he said.
“We pretty much knew right off the bat that things weren't right. We have reason to believe the child was not in that car today and that this was a concocted story,” added Trooper T S Mills.
The hunt is now on to recover the body from the river. “The case is ongoing. We have other leads we need to track down and other people we need to speak to, but the focus today is on recovery,” Parde said, adding that the couple is now lodged in the Western Regional Jail.
Meanwhile, Amy White, Jenkins' mother, seemed to be in shock and denial that her son is dead. “I don't believe he's in the river. Yes, I'm going to say he's not dead,” she said, adding, “And when the truth comes out I'll just go get my son 'cause I know my son's not dead.”
White urged anyone who has information about Jenkins, who she refers to as 'Dakota', to come forward. “You probably have kids of your own and if you don't you probably have a mom or a dad somebody that you love that you don't want to be without or can't live without. Well I can't live without Dakota,” she said. The Putnam County police can be reached at 586-2000.
