Adelynn Merrell: Mom’s Boyfriend Charged With Murder After Allegedly Kicking 3-Year-Old Girl In Head
Three-year-old Crestview, Florida girl, Adelynn Merrell, was found dead Friday after allegedly being abused and kicked in the head by her mother’s boyfriend. He has been charged with murder in connection with the child’s tragic death.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley said Adelynn’s mother, Destinee Merrell, 23, and her boyfriend, Cory Hagwell, 29, reported the girl missing on the afternoon of November 10, reports WTVY. The couple told authorities they last saw Adelynn playing in the backyard before she vanished.
According to Sheriff Ashley, after an exhaustive search was conducted, Merrell told officers that Hagwell had kicked Adelynn in the head and then locked her in a closet in the master bedroom on the night of November 9. She alleged he did so to punish the little girl for getting out of her car seat, according to WTVY.
Adelynn’s body was discovered in a wooded area shortly thereafter and she was observed to have “apparent head trauma,” Ashley noted.
Investigators say that both Merrell and Hagwell have given authorities conflicting stories about what happened to Adelynn.
Sheriff Ashley said during a jail interview, Merrell said Hagwell recently lost his job and since then has displayed “escalating violence towards Adelynn,” WTVY reports.
Merrell further said she heard “thuds” and “Adelynn crying fifteen to sixteen times.” She also stated Hagwell would “withhold food from Adelynn” and make her stay in the closet for long periods of time, according to WTVY.
#FacebookLive: Friends and family of Adelynn Merrell, the 3-year-old Crestview girl whose body was found yesterday, are holding a vigil in her honor. https://t.co/0ACjLroExK pic.twitter.com/G77t7rLBH6
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) November 11, 2017
A child residing in the home told law enforcement he witnessed Hagwell kick Adelynn while she was playing, WTVY reports. The child stated Merrell told Hagwell to stop what he was doing to the girl. The child further told authorities he last saw Adelynn on the floor of a bedroom closet and she was “not talking.” He further indicated he never or heard Adelynn again after that.
https://www.facebook.com/OkaloosaSheriff/posts/10155724279418654
One child in the home was also found to be suffering from malnutrition, reports WTSP.
The child, a 5-year-old boy, weighed less than 33 pounds and bones in every part of his body were visible, according to WTVY.
Authorities also found that on September 1, Merrell left Adelynn and another child alone and locked in a room. The two were found by neighbors after breaking a window, reports WTVY.
Hagwell is charged with murder and aggravated child abuse, while Merrell is charged with aggravated child abuse, three counts of child neglect, and accessory after the fact of murder. They are both behind bars at the Okaloosa County Jail.
[Featured Image by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office]
