The Nevaeh Allen case: How a fatal blow, coverup led to the 2-year-old's death, police say
After Nevaeh’s death — which allegedly happened after her mother, Lanaya Cardwell, 24, punched her — police say two other children in the household were brought along to a remote patch of woods in Mississippi while Nevaeh’s self-described stepfather disposed of her body.
"When the 3-year-old girl told relatives that her 2-year-old sister Nevaeh Allen was “in the forest,” no one knew what to make of it."
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Cardwell's mother, [J.B], and younger brother, [C.A] also said Gardner’s older children told them Cardwell shouted at the toddler.
“Lanaya got real mad about it and she was talking to Nevaeh like Nevaeh was a grown woman, saying ‘f--- you b----, you ain’t s---,’” the brother said. “That’s what the kids was telling us.”
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That his reaction was to cover up for the 'mom' is so twisted. I think that gives incredible insight into both of these adults and their relationship. His concern was not at all for Nevaeh, not for getting her treatment, for comforting her, for intervening during the assault, for protecting the other children... His only focus was on concealing the truth and the crime, protecting the mother, getting back to life as normal in their abusive and violent household.
Not only did he kill N but he involved and impacted the three year old who witnessed and provided an (essentially) eyewitness description of N's body being dumped.
That he brought along the two other little ones to dispose of her is twisted (the whole situation is). That all of these children have likely witnessed and been victims (directly or indirectly) of various forms of abuse is devastating. Their worldview has been shaped by the abusive environment they have been born and raised into.
The older children, again providing damning evidence of Lanaya's verbal berating of Neveah, not only incredibly sad for N but gives a glimpse into how they children were so horribly mistreated.
So many little lives were already effected by being in this family and even more so now. It will be a long road ahead for getting Nevaeh her legal justice and the children all of the help and support they need.
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