Missing 2-Year-old Mississippi Girl Found Dead; Stepfather Arrested

The body of a 2-year-old child who was reported missing last week has been found in a remote area in Mississippi.

The toddler, identified as Nevaeh Allen, was reported missing on Sept. 24. She was last seen with her stepfather, 30-year-old Phillip Gardner, around 1 p.m. when he put her down for a nap in the Baton Rouge neighborhood, said the 2-year-old’s mother, Lanaya Cardwell. When Cardwell’s oldest child came home after few hours, Nevaeh was missing and the door to the house was open. Gardner was found asleep, according to WREG.

After an intensive search by the Baton Rouge Police Department and the FBI, Navaeh’s body was found Sunday near the Pearlington area in Hancock County, confirmed Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage.

The 2-year-old’s body will be sent to Louisiana authorities for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

In an initial statement, Gardner told the police that he was sleeping when the child disappeared and noticed the door was unlocked when he woke up. But, according to the arrest report obtained by The Advocate, Gardner reportedly admitted to having found the toddler “unresponsive and lifeless.” He told the investigator that he disposed of the remains without notifying the police, states the report.

Gardner was arrested Saturday night on charges of Unlawful Disposal of Remains and Obstruction of Justice. He has been booked into the East Baton Rouge Prison.

Family members said Nevaeh's mother and Gardner had a toxic relationship, which was often marked with violence and sometimes involved the child.

In an interview with The Advocate, Nevaeh’s grandmother Jessica Billiot recalled an incident from weeks ago and said that Gardner threw a fit when the 2-year-old accidentally spilled a slime toy on their carpet. He allegedly yelled at the child and forced her to hold a vacuum in an attempt to make her clean the mess.

Marcus Allen, Nevaeh’s biological father recalled the toddler as the “perfect” child who loved animals and parks. Allen last saw his daughter on Wednesday when he dropped her off with her mother and stepfather. He was supposed to pick up the toddler again on Sunday.