Couple Charged With Murdering Their Baby, Then Burying It In the Backyard

A North Carolina couple is accused of murdering a baby. Dustin Vandyke, 28, was identified as the father, and Gracie Riddle, 18, is supposed to be the mother, as indicated in local reports.

Cops said they got a tip of an unreported death, which happened several months before on a property at Moulton Spring Road in the town of Erwin, according to The Daily Record.

“Shortly after receiving this information, Erwin investigators executed a search warrant at the same address,” cops said. “With the assistance of Harnett County Sheriff’s Department’s cadaver canine, investigators discovered a deceased and badly decomposed infant buried behind the residence.”

Though the autopsy is pending, police believe this to be a homicide.

“Based on evidence and interviews conducted during the course of this investigation, investigators have charged both the mother and the father of the infant with first-degree murder,” cops said. “The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are likely.”

Officers did not release information on why they specifically believe this is murder. They did not suggest a cause of death, though according to WRAL, they emphasized that this passing did not look like an accident. They did not suggest a motive in the alleged killing or say whether the couple told authorities anything. They did not identify the baby. They could not yet determine the child’s gender, according to WNCN.