The father of a Colorado boy, whose corpse was found encased in cement inside of a storage unit, has been charged with his death.
As Dearly previously reported, police discovered the body of Caden McWilliams, 7, in a dog carrier encased in cement on December 23.
Further, police charged his mother, Elisha Pankey, 43, with child abuse resulting in death and abuse of a corpse. At the time, she was already in police custody for heroin possession.
Now the boy’s father, Leland Pankey, 39, is officially facing a first-degree murder charge, KDVR reports. Additionally, police have also charged him with two counts of child abuse resulting in death and tampering with a dead body.
According to Denver7, police believe the boy could have died as early as May.
Denver Public School officials reported that Caden had missed the last week of school in May. However, it’s not clear where he was last seen in public.
Dearly previously reported that Elisha allegedly confided in a fellow inmate about the manner in which Caden died.
In July, Elisha and Leland reportedly kept him in the dog cage overnight. According to court records, they ignored their son’s complaints about being thirsty and hot. By morning, Caden was dead.
Leland has been in jail since late December on an outstanding warrant. His arrest came after Elisha told police that he took their children. Further, she said he had been sending her threatening text messages.
As KDVR reports, Leland’s preliminary hearing for Caden’s death is scheduled for September 11.
