Dustin Vandyke and Gracie Riddle.
A North Carolina couple is accused of murdering a baby. Dustin Vandyke, 28, was identified as the father, and Gracie Riddle, 18, is supposed to be the mother, as indicated in local reports.
Cops said they got a tip of an unreported death, which happened several months before on a property at Moulton Spring Road in the town of Erwin, according to The Daily Record.
“Shortly after receiving this information, Erwin investigators executed a search warrant at the same address,” cops said. “With the assistance of Harnett County Sheriff’s Department’s cadaver canine, investigators discovered a deceased and badly decomposed infant buried behind the residence.”
Though the autopsy is pending, police believe this to be a homicide.
“Based on evidence and interviews conducted during the course of this investigation, investigators have charged both the mother and the father of the infant with first-degree murder,” cops said. “The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are likely.”
Officers did not release information on why they specifically believe this is murder. They did not suggest a cause of death, though according to WRAL, they emphasized that this passing did not look like an accident. They did not suggest a motive in the alleged killing or say whether the couple told authorities anything. They did not identify the baby. They could not yet determine the child’s gender, according to WNCN.
Vandyke and Riddle are locked up without bond at the Harnett County Detention Center for first-degree murder. Court is set for Monday at 9 a.m.
[Booking photo via Harnett County Detention Center]