(Update) 2 children, ages 9 and 3, found murdered near Baileyton; mother arrested

By:
0
16277
Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry addresses the media near the crime scene early Saturday evening. (W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune)

Updated 10-12-19 at 6:30 p.m.

BAILEYTON, Ala. – Two children were found murdered at a residence along the 4000 block of County Road 1718 near Baileyton Saturday afternoon. Authorities say the children’s mother has been arrested.

A visibly distraught Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry addressed the media early Saturday evening.

“You never can prepare yourself in the 20 years I’ve been in law enforcement for children…for something bad to happen to children. There’s a lot of evil in this world, and that’s just what we saw today, was evil,” said Gentry.

Cullman County Coroner Jeremy L. Kilpatrick said the victims were boys, ages 9 and 3.

The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said in a statement that dispatch received a 911 call at approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

“We found two small children that were deceased,” Gentry said. “Deputies immediately secured the perimeter. We started an active search. We deployed our K-9s here at the property. Within a couple of hundred yards of the residence, we located the suspect, which is the mother of the children. We arrested the mother and she’s been flown to a hospital.”

Details of what happened inside the residence are unclear at this time.

“We don’t know what caused this tragic incident, but what I can tell you is that evil was involved,” said Gentry. “Any time a person will do this to children, there’s only one word, and that’s evil.”

The CCSO said it will provide more details in the coming days.

“What I would ask is that you pray for the community, that you pray for the communities. You know, these families lost their children,” the sheriff implored. “Again, just continue to pray for them and keep them in your prayers tonight, tomorrow, the rest of the week as they go through this. Pray for the first responders that handle these situations. It’s very traumatic.”

This is a developing story.

Copyright 2019 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune
avatar

Wendy Sack

wendy@cullmantribune.com