Remains found in burn pile identified as missing 1-year-old boy

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ala. (TCN) -- Law enforcement announced they positively identified human remains as a missing 1-year-old boy just days after a grand jury returned an indictment charging the child’s mother with multiple felonies.

On Thursday, May 8, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office announced the remains discovered in a burn pile were, in fact, those of Kahleb Collins, the boy who was reported missing after his sister and father died in a car crash in December.

Officials began investigating Collins' disappearance after the crash, which occurred when Kahleb Collins' father, Bradley Collins, was driving 92 mph in a 45 mph zone and lost control of the vehicle as the road turned. Kahleb Collins' mother, Wendy Bailey, was also in the car but survived. 

Investigators learned Bailey and Bradley Collins had a son who was unaccounted for, so they started looking into the boy’s whereabouts and disappearance. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued an Amber Alert on Dec. 17, 2024, noting the boy was last seen Sept. 4, 2024.

Bailey was arrested Dec. 30, 2024, on charges of aggravated child abuse, first-degree domestic violence, abuse of a corpse, and criminally negligent homicide.

She and her father, John Bailey, were indicted in April, on one count of aggravated child abuse, four counts of first-degree domestic violence, and one count of abuse of a corpse, though John Bailey also has an additional count of hindering prosecution. The court filings were recently made public and allege Wendy Bailey and her husband physically harmed Collins several times. The indictment says Collins was "restrained and/or suspended from a ceiling and/or from another inanimate object" and abused. Another count in the court document alleges he was bound to a chair and injured in a way that was "dangerous to human life."

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

In another message, Bradley Collins reportedly shared a photo with his wife of Kahleb Collins on the ground that read, "He want move" and "I’m so sorry." When Bradley Collins updated her and said the boy was moving again, 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."

Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby said regarding Collins' identification, "This is a heartbreaking outcome, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who loved Kahleb. While this discovery brings a measure of closure, it is also a solemn reminder of the responsibility we share in protecting our children. We are committed to continuing the pursuit of justice in this case."

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