Ala. mom allegedly tortured, abused missing 1-year-old son who is presumed dead

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ala. (TCN) -- A grand jury returned an indictment against a woman and her father for allegedly abusing her 1-year-old son, who was discovered to be missing after the child’s father and sister died in a car accident in 2024.

WIAT-TV reports Wendy Bailey, 23, was charged with one count of aggravated child abuse, four counts of first-degree domestic violence, and one count of abuse of a corpse in connection with the suspected abuse and death of her son, Kahleb Collins. Her father, John Bailey, is also facing the same charges, as well as one count of hindering prosecution.

The indictment, filed April 15 but recently made public, alleges Wendy Bailey physically harmed Collins on several occasions. One of the assault counts against her says Collins was "restrained and/or suspended from a ceiling and/or from another inanimate object" and abused, while another count alleges the boy was bound to a chair and injured in a way that was "dangerous to human life."

The investigation into Collins' disappearance began following a car crash Dec. 8, 2024, involving 40-year-old Bradley Collins and 2-year-old Ryleigh Collins. Wendy Bailey was also in the vehicle but survived. According to AL.com, Bradley Collins was driving 92 mph on a street with a 45 mph speed limit and lost control of the vehicle while the road curved.

They were all ejected from the vehicle when they crashed because no one was wearing a seatbelt. Ryleigh Collins was pronounced deceased at the scene, while Bradley Collins was put on life support and died the next day. Wendy Bailey, who was married to Bradley Collins, was hospitalized in critical condition.

On Dec. 9, 2024, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office officials learned Bradley Collins and Wendy Bailey had another child who was unaccounted for, so they started searching for the boy. It immediately prompted an Amber Alert for Kahleb Collins. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Collins was last seen Sept. 4, 2024.

According to court documents shared by WIAT, around July 2024, Bailey allegedly "engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death" to her son. Bradley Collins allegedly texted Bailey that he "was going to kill Kahleb Collins" and sent a photo of the boy "hanging aloft with a rope with blood present on his body."

Another picture allegedly showed Kahleb Collins on the ground with messages from Bradley Collins that read, "He want move" and "I’m so sorry." Bradley Collins later messaged that the boy was moving his body, and Bailey responded, "He just looks wore out and tired and hurt hopefully that’s all."

The complaint alleges Bailey "failed to intervene or notify law enforcement after she was made aware of the extreme circumstances and assault that had occurred to Kahleb Collins."

Other charges allege she placed Kahleb Collins' body in a bag outside of a storage facility, then moved it for "final disposal at an unknown location."

His body has still not been found.

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