North Carolina authorities have arrested and charged a mother with murder and child abuse after finding a shallow grave in her backyard Friday.
The remains have yet to be positively identified but detectives believe they belong to Malikah Diane Bennett’s missing four-year-old daughter.
The 31-year-old had voluntarily shown up for questioning over her child’s disappearance before investigators received “tips foul play may have been involved.”
Homicide detectives joined the probe searching for the toddler before they “brought in cadaver dogs during the search” and ultimately finding the body.
“Really, just, prayers for everybody that’s involved in this because it’s really a bad situation,” acquaintance Lashonda Alexander said.
She added that the mom “had been going through so much the last few weeks” without elaborating.
