A man and a woman were charged with murder and other major offenses after bone fragments were discovered in the Wheatfield, Indiana, home’s backyard.
The pieces were discovered following a tip last month to the authorities that two infants had been slain and their bodies had been set ablaze in a backyard fire pit.
The purpose of an expert’s examination of the bone fragments is to ascertain if they were the bones of an animal or two infants.
The charges against Steven Valle, 31, and Samantha Sebella, 25, include murder, failure to disclose a dead body, obstruction of justice, and negligence of a dependent resulting in death. Felons comprise all but the final count.
The defendants’ allegations and their relationship to the children have not been made clear by the Jasper County, Indiana Sheriff’s office.
“It’s a shame if there’s babies buried in the backyard,” neighbor Kathy Hudspath stated. “It is disgusting.”
Sheriff Patrick Williamson of Jasper County, Indiana, and Coroner Andy Boersma released a joint statement on Friday, September 20.
They said that on Friday morning, their office received a report that someone had admitted to friends that they killed two of their children and cremated their bodies in their Wheatfield, Indiana, fire pit.
The press statement referred to the kids as “undocumented,” but it didn’t explain what exactly that meant.
The office of the Jasper County Sheriff commenced an investigation. Detectives discovered at least one suspect in a motel in the nearby county of Newton County that same day.
The suspects denied any role in the suspected crime, but their cell phones were taken as proof.
According to the sheriff’s office, detectives looked for the suspect or suspects once more after receiving fresh information from the cell phones.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Indiana Department of kid Services placed another kid under the suspect or suspects’ supervision in protective custody.
After the suspects were questioned again by the sheriff’s office and the Indiana State Police, new information led to their arrests.
On Monday morning this week, two cadaver dogs assisted Jasper County Sheriff’s investigators and officers from other law enforcement agencies in a search of a Wheatfield residence located in the 4200 block of Old Orchard Lane.
The homeowner and the present occupants assisted with the search, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to the sheriff’s office, the cadaver dogs identified three distinct spots where parts of fragmentary bones were discovered.
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On the side of the Old Orchard Lane residence, investigators began construction with shovels. They were observed going through the backyard fire pit and gathering soil samples.
To find out if the bones were those of a human or an animal, more testing was conducted on them when they were brought to Indianapolis. Forensic anthropologists are usually used by law enforcement to reach that conclusion.
Following their arrival, Valle and Sebella were detained for probable cause at the Jasper County Detention Center.
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