Body Of Missing Kansas Girl, Lana Bailey, Believed To Have Been Found By Police
In an update to an ongoing homicide investigation stemming from the discovery of three bodies on a rural Kansas farm a week ago, police have discovered a child’s body in nearby Osage County. Law enforcement officials said they believe the body is that of Lana Bailey, who went missing on April 28.
Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards said at a press conference on Sunday, “It is with great sadness that I report a body found [Saturday] in Osage County, Kansas, is believed to be the remains of 18-month-old Lana Bailey.” Police believe the child was killed on the Ottawa, Kan., farm near her mother, 21-year-old Kaylie Bailey, and then taken to the Osage County location. The two other bodies found on the farm property were identified as Andrew Stout, 30, and Steven White, 31. Stout and White lived on the farm and Bailey was a friend of Stout’s, notes CNN. Forensic tests are currently being conducted to identify the child's remains, notes CNN.
It was previously reported by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation that Kaylie and her daughter went missing May 1, but police have indicated the mother and daughter, as well as Stout and White, went missing on April 28, reports CNN. Bailey’s family reported her missing on May 3, but police did not issue an Amber Alert because Lana was last seen with her mother.
During the press conference, police did not discuss how Lana’s body was found but simply cited a hunch followed by a police officer and good investigative work by the department, notes CNN. According to KSHB, investigators may have found Lana’s body near Tequa Creek in Osage County.
Police arrested 27-year-old Kyle Flack on May 8 in connection with the case and charged him with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of capital murder, one count of rape, and criminal possession of a firearm, reports KSHB. It is believed Stout was killed a week prior to White and Bailey, sometime between April 20 and 28, while White and Bailey could have been killed on April 28 or April 29. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty for Flack but had not made that decision as of Friday, reports KSHB.
The bodies of Bailey, White and Stout were found on May 6 by three friends: Kortni McGill; Corey Schlotzhauer, 26; and Shona Osladil, 21. McGill had detected a foul order coming from the farm’s garage, and further investigation led to the discovery of a body underneath a tarp. Baby clothes were also found near the garage, and police later discovered two more bodies on the property.
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