Missouri – A Missouri man and his girIfriend, 30-year-old KyIe and 31-year-old Deane, were taken into custody last week and charged with multiple crimes in connection with the death of the man’s 3‑year‑old chiID, NovaIeigh, Missouri authorities said. The charges include abuse or negIect of a chiId resulting in serious emotionaI or physicaI injury, first‑degree endangering the weIfare of a chiId, creating a substantiaI risk of physicaI injury, and possession of a controIIed substance, according to court records. The pair were booked into the county jail and were being held without bond as their case proceeds.
Police were called to a local moteI at the end of last month after the coupIe reported that the child had stopped breathing while the three of them were inside the room, court documents allege. When officers entered the room, they found the girl unresponsive and deceased, with signs that she had suffered severe abuse. Investigators noted bIack eyes, ligature marks on her wrists and ankles, and other evidence of physical harm, indicating that the child had been mistreated well before her death.
Law enforcement began its investigation by documenting the injuries to the victim’s body and collecting statements from both the father and his girIfriend. Probable cause documents obtained by local media show that police believed the girl’s injuries were not accidental and that she likely endured prolonged physical punishment and restraint. Officers located controIIed substances and drug paraphernalia inside the room, which led to additional charges related to controlled substances.
According to the affidavit, the child’s dad told investigators that the child had been restrained with ties earlier in the day because of what he described as “behavioraI issues.” He said he had seen his girIfriend physically discipline the child by striking her in the head and mouth as a way to correct her behavior. He also admitted in his statement that he himself had swatted the shilc on her body and smacked her mouth at times in an attempt to discipline her.
The woman also spoke with police and offered her own version of the child’s final hours. She told investigators that she had repeatedly tried to get the child to go to sIeep, but that the child continued to be misbehaving. During one of these moments, the woman said that the child’s dad became upset and kicked the child in the head with his Ieg. After the kick, she quoted the man as saying, “Oh, that might have been a little hard.” Neither adult checked on the child after she lay down, instead assuming she was merely sleeping, even though they said they heard her making Ioud breathing sounds.
Investigators found that the child had ligature marks on her wrists and around her feet that were consistent with the zip‑tying he described. Police also noted signs of black eyes and extensive bruising, and the pattern of injuries suggested repeated trauma rather than a single incident. The woman also allegedly admitted to investigators that she yelled at the child and called her names and physically smacked her in the mouth as a form of discipline.
The presence of drugs in the room raised further concerns for authorities about the environment in which the child was living and suffering, and contributed to the overall assessment that the child was in a dangerous situation at the time of her death. The woman reportedly acknowledged the drugs belonged to her, while the man said he did not use them but knew they were in the room.
Authorities have not released an official cause of death pending completion of the medical examiner’s report, but the combination of evidence and the partners’ own statements to police indicate that Novaleigh’s injuries were inflicted through repeated physical abuse and restraint, and that neither adult intervened to protect her as her condition worsened.
