Body of 4-Month-Old Who Was Born With Drugs in System Found at Bottom of Well

File photo of a police car. Diego Parra/Pixabay

The body of a missing 4-month-old boy, whose parents have been arrested, was recovered at the bottom of a well in Ohio, police announced on June 12.

Scioto County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that missing baby Dylan Groves’s body was found in a well that was about 30-feet deep in Otway, Ohio. The body was transported to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy.

Investigators had spent weeks searching for the missing baby, who they believe had been deceased since March 2019, reported WSAZ.

The sheriff’s office said in an earlier statement that they had arrested the parents, Jessica D. Groves, 39, and Daniel A. Groves, 41, for a range of charges including abduction and kidnapping in connection to the boy’s disappearance.

In a court appearance on June 13, both suspects waived their preliminary hearings, which means their cases will be presented to a grand jury to decide on whether there is sufficient probable cause to indict the couple. Authorities said the infant was placed under the custody of Scioto County Children Services after authorities learned the baby was born with illicit drugs in his system. The boy was eventually returned to the custody of his father after complying with the agency’s requirements.

Captain John W. Murphy said in a statement that the father was initially complying with all the requirements but eventually stopped showing up to court, doctor appointments, and missed home visits. The sheriff’s office and caseworkers then started looking for the child but were unable to do so.

On May 20, authorities were able to track the couple to their residence in Otway, but the pair fled off in a wooded area, avoiding arrests.

Detectives eventually were able to obtain a search warrant for the couple’s property, which they executed on June 10. During the search, they found stolen items worth up to $42,000 in the property, as well as two 4-wheelers, a UTV, and two stolen trailers.

Authorities said they were able to arrest the mother, Jessica, without incident inside the home, but the father, Daniel, barricaded himself inside. After a 6 hour standoff, the father was also arrested.

Jessica is currently being held on a $100,000 bond, authorities said. Meanwhile, Daniel is being held without bond. He was previously on probation for a previous theft charge, which could be revoked due to the new charges.

His probation hearing is scheduled for June 20, reported the news station.

The police investigation is currently ongoing and more details will be released in due course.