WAYNESBORO, Va. (AP) - Investigators in western Virginia announced Tuesday that they now believe that a missing 3-year-old girl is dead.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that an investigation has revealed that Khaleesi Cuthriell, who had been unaccounted for since February, died while in the care of Candi Royer and Travis Brown at a Waynesboro home that was searched on Monday.
“It is with great sadness that the search for Khaleesi has now turned into a recovery mission,” Sheriff Donald Smith said in a statement.
Smith said Royer and Brown were arrested in Pennsylvania on Sept. 12 in connection with the case, news outlets report.
The pair face several charges, including abuse and neglect of a child. Both remain held at the Westmoreland County Prison and investigators said they will be extradited to Virginia.
Royer was initially reported missing, but the sheriff’s office said investigators determined that she was a willing participant with Brown in a string of crimes across Virginia and Pennsylvania.
