Investigators Believe Tennessee Couple Locked Up Nonverbal Autistic Child in Storage Trunk with Urine-Soaked Blankets
Sean Moody (left) and Mikki Moody (right) were arrested after investigators determined they allegedly locked a 7-year-old autistic child in a storage box with urine-soaked bedding, officials said.
Aug. 20 2024, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
Officers were looking into adult abuse allegations in Tennessee when they learned a man and woman allegedly locked a nonverbal child in a storage trunk in an unsanitary home, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Aug. 7, an investigation was launched after officials discovered 39-year-old Sean Moody allegedly abused his developmentally disabled sister, for whom he served as a caregiver, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
Police said Baula and his vehicle were seen in surveillance footage both times he threw the urine.
On Aug. 15, the TBI obtained an arrest warrant and Moody was charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult.
That same day, deputies from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office worked with the TBI to execute a search warrant at the Elizabethton home of Sean Moody and 36-year-old Mikki Moody, authorities said.
The mom and the boyfriend were arrested for abuse of the children, officials said.
Investigators said they determined a 7-year-old autistic and nonverbal child lived in the home.
According to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, investigator Preston White called the living conditions of the residence “unsanitary.”
Officers said the residence was 'unsanitary' and they found human and animal feces on the floor.
White said “multiple electrical wall outlets contained exposed wiring” and there was animal and human feces on the floor.
Investigators also found a brown-colored storage trunk in the living room of the residence, which contained urine-soaked blankets, a pillow, half-eaten pizza and clothes with blood on them, according to officials.
New evidence was obtained in 2022, which helped solve the 1980 cold case, officials said.
Investigators believe Mikki and Sean Moody allegedly would lock the child in the storage trunk with food.
Officials did not specify the suspects’ relationship with the juvenile victim.
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Mikki and Sean Moody were arrested and each charged with aggravated child abuse, neglect, and child endangerment, officials said. This is in addition to the adult abuse charge Sean Moody was already facing.
Both were booked into the Carter County Detention Center. Mikki was released after posting a $75,000 bond, and Sean Moody remains in custody, authorities said.
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