Missing 3-month-old found dead in bucket of detergent, Indiana cops say. Dad arrested
A 3-month-old boy’s body was concealed in a bucket of laundry detergent as officers scoured an apartment for the missing child, Indiana police and news outlets reported.
During a second sweep of the apartment around 5 a.m. on Aug. 11, police said an officer opened an orange bucket in the kitchen to find the baby’s body, the Journal & Courier reported.
A Silver Alert for Jacob Moneus was issued Aug. 10 after the child went missing in Lafayette, Indiana State Police said. It was believed that the child was in “extreme danger” and needed medical attention, the alert said.
The alert was canceled the following day when police released the “devastating development” after finding the deceased child, according to a news release by Lafayette police.
Moneus’ father was last seen with the child, court documents said, according to WISH. He was also accused of attacking his wife with a tire iron or wrench, according to a probable cause statement, causing a skull fracture, WISH reported.
Court documents state the couple had gotten into in an argument days before the alleged attack, and he hadn’t spoken to his wife since then, WTHR reported.
The woman had been watching a church service on TV the morning of Aug. 10 when her husband walked in the room, took Jacob and left, police said, according to WTHR.
The man returned about a half hour later and attacked his wife with the tire iron or wrench, then left again, officials told WISH.
The mother couldn’t find her son, according to the probable cause statement, so she went to the hospital to treat her injuries, WISH reported.
The man was later arrested in Indianapolis and transferred to Lafayette, according to WTHR.
He appeared in court Aug. 12 regarding possible charges in the assault of his wife and death of his child, the Journal & Courier reported. Prosecutors were granted a 72-hour extension to file formal charges, according to the Journal & Courier.
According to jail records, the man is being held without bond on multiple preliminary charges, including domestic battery and attempted murder.
The Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office said a preliminary autopsy revealed Jacob died of asphyxia, according to an Aug. 12 news release. Officials added that his death was a homicide.
Lafayette is about a 65-mile drive northwest of Indianapolis.
This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Missing 3-month-old found dead in bucket of detergent, Indiana cops say. Dad arrested."
