KNIGHTDALE, N.C. – An infant was found dead, affiliate CBS 17 reported, inside the home listed on arrest warrants for the Henrico father and daughter charged with incest after they had a child together and reportedly married.
According to CBS 17, an infant was found dead inside the North Carolina home Thursday around 9 a.m., after police responded to a welfare check. The scene is blocked off with crime scene tape,according to CBS 17, and there are at least five police vehicles on scene. Earlston Court, which is in the Carrington Woods subdivision of North Carolina, is completely blocked off.
“Right now, our priority is crime scene preservation and evidence collection,” said Police Chief Lawrence Capps to CBS 17. “We will provide additional details as they become available to us.”
Steven Walter Pladl, 42, was released on bond in Henrico County in late February, initiallywith conditions that he had to stay in Virginia while his trial progresses and he stay away from his biological daughter, Katie Rose Pladl. On March 16, Judge Stewart Williams signed off on Steven's amended bond to allow him to travel to North Carolina, but he would reside at a different residence.
Katie, age 20, was also previously jailed in Henrico after the couple was extradited to Virginia. She was released on Feb. 28, with a $12,000 secured bond and ordered to avoid contact with Steven. The conditions of her release were that she must reside with her adoptive parents, who live in New York, and was allowed to travel outside of state.
The couple reportedly married in July 2017 and their son was born a few months later,in September.The arrest warrant indicated that the couple intended to marry after he was divorced in June 2017 and online pictures were captioned as wedding photos between the couple.
Ex-wife reported relationship between husband and daughter
Steven Pladl appeared on law enforcement's radar after his then wife Alyssa reported the alleged relationship between her husband and biological daughter.
Alyssa gave birth to Katie 20 years ago when she was 17 years old. She and Steven, who was 22, opted to put the baby up for adoption. Eighteen years later, Katie was able to locate her biological parents -- who lived in the West End of Henrico County.
She ultimately moved in with them, and called the pair mom and dad, Alyssa said.
That was in 2016. The same year Alyssa and Steven separated with the intent to divorce.
Alyssa said she had no idea about the sexual relationship between Steven and Katie until she read one of her other daughter's journals where she found drawings of a pregnant Katie. She also found her daughter had written that Steven was making her call Katie her step-mom.
"There are no words to describe the sense of betrayal and disgust I'm feeling," she told DailyMailTV. "I waited 18 long years to have a relationship with my daughter - and now he's completely destroyed it."
Alyssa later took out protective orders against Steven, so he could not go near her or their two younger daughters. She said she believed Steven brainwashed and manipulated Katie.
In addition to the incest charge, Steven and Katie are charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
CBS 6 legal analyst Todd Stone said the judge who hears the case will have some tough choices to make.
"A judge will have an opportunity to decide whether this statute makes this conduct illegal because of moral and religious ideas or science and increased chance of birth defects,” Stone said. “What should the penalty really be for people who are both adults and consenting to a sexual relationship even though it's illegal in Virginia and most other places?"
