MO - Kha'liya Bridgewater, 6 mos, body found in woods on Mother’s Day, search warrant served on mother’s home, Kansas City, 4 May 2023

[imstilla.grandma]

A search warrant filed during an investigation into the death of a baby, whose body was discovered in the woods on Mother’s Day, details how police tentatively identified the child.

Following the discovery, Kansas City police made a public plea for information. Several people contacted investigators after learning a baby’s body was found near E. 41st Street and Pittman Road.

According to the search warrant, police were told the baby was 6 months old at the time of her death.

One witness told police that a mother had reported her 6-month-old had died. However, no funeral arrangements were made and the mother was not providing any information regarding how the baby died.

A second witness said they received a message from the mother, which stated the baby died in her sleep on the night of Thursday, May 4. The baby was discovered by a passerby on May 13 in a 19-acre vacant lot off Pittman Road.

Detectives contacted the two medical examiner’s offices that cover the Kansas City metro area. They determined the 6-month-old’s death had not been reported.
According to court records, a witness said the child’s mother told them that the baby had died in her sleep from SIDS and not to tell anybody. She also reportedly told the witness police and an ambulance had responded after the child’s death.
Investigators said that, when they questioned her, the mother originally told them she only had two children. After being challenged multiple times on having a third child, police said she admitted her third child was now deceased.

During questioning, police said she provided numerous versions of events for the night her daughter died. She claimed to not know how she died.

https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/48960539/search-warrant-executed-after-babys-body-is-found-in-woods-on-mothers-day

 

[LovesPeace2]

A search warrant filed during an investigation into the death of a baby, whose body was discovered in the woods on Mother’s Day, details how police tentatively identified the child.

Following the discovery, Kansas City police made a public plea for information. Several people contacted investigators after learning a baby’s body was found near E. 41st Street and Pittman Road.

According to the search warrant, police were told the baby was 6 months old at the time of her death.

One witness told police that a mother had reported her 6-month-old had died. However, no funeral arrangements were made and the mother was not providing any information regarding how the baby died.

A second witness said they received a message from the mother, which stated the baby died in her sleep on the night of Thursday, May 4. The baby was discovered by a passerby on May 13 in a 19-acre vacant lot off Pittman Road.

Detectives contacted the two medical examiner’s offices that cover the Kansas City metro area. They determined the 6-month-old’s death had not been reported.
According to court records, a witness said the child’s mother told them that the baby had died in her sleep from SIDS and not to tell anybody. She also reportedly told the witness police and an ambulance had responded after the child’s death.
Investigators said that, when they questioned her, the mother originally told them she only had two children. After being challenged multiple times on having a third child, police said she admitted her third child was now deceased.

During questioning, police said she provided numerous versions of events for the night her daughter died. She claimed to not know how she died.

https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/48960539/search-warrant-executed-after-babys-body-is-found-in-woods-on-mothers-day

Just holy heck , I don't understand some parents. I hope her other children are removed till they find how this week one died jmoo

 

[borndem]

"discovered in the woods on Mother's Day" -- Just dammit.
How many people would jump at the chance of adopting a sweet, six-month-old?
It just never stops, does it?

 

[musicaljoke]

A mother with a baby and two other children can be overwhelmed to the point of going crazy. There can be so many challenges, financial debt, unspeakable fatigue, inadequate maternity leave, no family support, etc.

I hate it when these tragic deaths happen and there is not a word about the male parent or how he failed as well. Do the males just breed and then shrug off their responsibility to provide a safe home for their offspring?

 

[Laughing]

A mother with a baby and two other children can be overwhelmed to the point of going crazy. There can be so many challenges, financial debt, unspeakable fatigue, inadequate maternity leave, no family support, etc.

I hate it when these tragic deaths happen and there is not a word about the male parent or how he failed as well. Do the males just breed and then shrug off their responsibility to provide a safe home for their offspring?

Me, too, and that seems to happen all too often.

Decades ago I worked for Social Services in my state, at Child Support Enforcement. Not every Dad wants to duck!

We'll wait & see if any paternal family of these children speak out.

jmho

 

[borndem]

Good question about the sperm-donor, @musicaljoke.
In some cases the sperm-donor may have no idea that he is the "father" -- in others, the sperm-donor may be informed, and just "disappear," etc.

In the case where the mother is simply overwhelmed, the "safe baby drop-off" at the proper place is ideal -- but this time, the mother didn't know about it, couldn't get to one for whatever reason (SMH) or who-knows-what the excuse was for this horrible ending to a tiny life.
So now it's a death of a sweet little human-being, and a serious crime for the mother. And no one wins, of course.

 

[Laughing]

Google Sez:

The Safe Haven Laws have been updated to include Safe Haven Baby Boxes (safety devices) in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Maine Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

but not one currently on the Locations list:

Safe Haven Baby Boxes

Providing Resources. Ending Shame.

shbb.org

 

[musicaljoke]

Google Sez:

The Safe Haven Laws have been updated to include Safe Haven Baby Boxes (safety devices) in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Maine Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

but not one currently on the Locations list:

Safe Haven Baby Boxes

Providing Resources. Ending Shame.

shbb.org

And ... you've got to be able to get to a safe haven. How does one do that with three little kids? Do you load up the kids in a cab fitted with appropriately selected car seats? What if you have no money to pay a cab? What if you can't mentally process the thoughts of leaving a child behind?

It's a tough world for new mothers even with good supports. I wish these baby deaths could be predicted and prevented.

 

[kittenish]

I (kind of) know this woman. I haven’t fully processed this and don’t want to say much.

Obviously nothing excuses killing a child but I think the laws governing bodily autonomy and the right to choose (after the fact) in Missouri should be contextualized. Abortion has also been effectively outlawed long before Roe was overturned and safe harbor laws are only protective against prosecution up to 45 days at which point the parent can be charged with child endangerment. She also has a limited mental capacity which makes attaining an abortion or raising children in a state hostile to women and children that much more challenging.

 

[kittenish]

DNA links dead Kansas City, Missouri, infant found in woods to mother

“She told police several versions of events, claiming her boyfriend saw the baby choking and locked her out of the bedroom as he tried to restore her breathing.

The mother, who had previously told at least one witness that an ambulance had responded to treat the baby girl, said the boyfriend broke her phone and refused to let her leave the apartment when she tried to dial 911 after later discovering the infant cold to the touch in her crib.

The mother claimed her boyfriend took the baby from the apartment the next day, telling her he was going to Arkansas but to tell other people he’d gone to Texas.”

They haven’t charged her, released a cause of death, or named the boyfriend as a person of interest yet as far as I can tell. I’m assuming they’re still trying to locate him and see what he has to say.

 

[CHEL]

She's was arrested.

 

[MissMalowe]

What a waste.

She had 2 other children in the home who were likely treated poorly or abused as well Im sure. I hope their lives are filled with only kindness and love from this point forward.

 

[kittenish]

She's was arrested.



View attachment 424574View attachment 424575

It’s been updated and now there is no photo or charge details and it says she was transferred. No charges filed on case.net in MO as far as I can tell either.

 

[kittenish]

Oh wow… okay so that first screenshot says she’s 25. I noticed the other Raeleena Bartlett, aged 34, on that site and assumed it was a different person. I found a charge on Casenet for passing a bad check and a warrant was issued in a different county for the older RB; however, when I looked at the rest of the details, they tried to serve the younger RB. Now the profile stating she is 25 seems to be merged with the one stating she is 34 and states she was released on 5/26. I had heard that she was released last week but not from anyone I know or trust. (FWIW, I thought she was ~25 but I don’t know if she ever actually said that or if it was just the impression I got.)

Still no update about the boyfriend. I’ve also seen disturbing rumors on that front but don’t want to repeat them without any corroboration of his identity. I’ll say that the account that she gave of [the rumored boyfriend] harming the child would not be out of character based on public records. (Mods, LMK if that’s too much & I’ll edit.)

It’s just so sad. I hope there is some clarity and justice for this baby.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Kha'liya Bridgewater, 6 months old, was found deceased in a wooded area on May 13, 2023

Family members have organized a candlelight vigil and balloon release on Friday at 8 p.m.

Deceased 6-month-old found in woods on Mother’s Day weekend identified

The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department stated that the child was Kha’liya Bridgewater.

www.kctv5.com

*rip baby Kha'liya

 

[kittenish]

Someone I do know/trust well enough to know the mom and situation said the father has been arrested. I’ve confirmed the name that I’ve heard as the boyfriend/father was booked on 5/25, transferred to another jail, and is in custody. I don’t really know how much I’m allowed to post since his name hasn’t been stated in the media. No charge information listed for him currently.

 

[tlcya]

Kha’liya’s uncle, Randall Lammers, 30, said he was moved by the crowd of a few dozen people who showed up to remember such a young life.

“She was loved. She was adored,” said Lammers, who has two young kids of his own.

Robin Davis, 62, Kha’liya’s great grandmother through marriage, said she was still “stunned.”

“It’s hard for us to figure this out ... we can’t get a straight-enough answer out of anybody to find out what the truth is, and we just really want to know the truth,” she said.
[snip]
“You can’t process if you don’t know,” Kha’liya’s grandmother, Ruthann Hickman, 46, said at Friday’s vigil. “I just want to know. We’re just ready to start healing, and finding out what happened is part of that process.”
[snip]
“We don’t know how to handle this. You know, you can’t run from it, you can’t sleep it off. None of it works,” said Lammers, Kha’liya’s uncle. “They say it gets easier, but that’s a lie. But we have to try for her.”

Only six months old, she had so much life to live, and will hopefully live it through us, in our own ways.”
‘She was adored’: Family of baby found dead in Kansas City still searching for answers