Couple Charged With Murder, Kidnap Of 3-Year-Old Girl Whose Body Was Found In Dumpster

A couple was indicted with state charges Tuesday for the kidnap and murder of a 3-year-old Alabama girl in 2019.

Patrick Stallworth, 40, and his girlfriend Derick Brown, 30, were indicted with charges of capital murder of a child under the age of 14 and capital murder of a child during a kidnapping, reported local news outlet People.

In addition to these state charges, the couple faces federal charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap, People reported.

Kamille McKinney was abducted from a birthday party in Birmingham, Alabama, on Oct. 12, 2019. After an extensive search, the police recovered her body from a dumpster at a local landfill, 10 days after she went missing.

An autopsy report revealed McKinney died of asphyxiation the same day she went missing. The report also suggested the victim had high levels of meth and antidepressants in her system.

During previous court hearings, the couple blamed each other for the incident. Stallworth accused Brown of kidnapping the victim; however, the investigators found out the couple was seen together on the day McKinney went missing. Brown accused Stallworth of sexually abusing the child before she died.

Investigators found that on the day of the incident, Stallworth had purchased $18.91 worth of candy from a gas station, reported local news outlet AL.com. He drove around with Brown in an SUV, and approached many kids, offering them candies. One of the girls, aged 11, said Stallworth had told her that “I’m looking for a girl that looks like you,” a detective testified in court last year.

The investigators identified the suspects from the surveillance video at a gas station. The couple was arrested and the police confiscated their cell phones.

The investigators discovered child porn images on Stallworth’s phone but did not find any images of the missing girl. Stallworth was charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography and later released from jail on bond, AL.com reported.

The victim’s body was recovered after Brown directed the investigators to a dumpster which was later tracked to a landfill.

The couple had no previous connection to the victim or her family. If convicted the couple could face the death penalty.