Authorities said the body of 2 YO Navaeh Allen, the missing toddler from Baton Rouge, was found in Mississippi on Sunday, Sept. 26, and her stepfather has been arrested in connection with the investigation into her disappearance.
The Hancock County coroner confirmed Allen’s body was located near the Pearlington area.
According to BRPD, an autopsy will be performed by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office to determine the cause of death.
The baby’s stepfather, 30 YO Phillip Gardner, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Prison on Sunday on charges of unlawful disposal of remains and obstruction of justice. According to BRPD, he could face additional charges based on the autopsy results.
Gardner reportedly told police he had last seen Nevaeh when he took a nap at the apartment around 1 p.m. Police added when her siblings returned home from school around 4:15 p.m., the apartment door was open and the child was missing.
According to Lanaya Cardwell, the missing girl’s mother, she was at work when she got a call the baby was missing from the apartment.
FBI agents from the New Orleans and Jackson, Miss. field offices arrived in Baton Rouge on Saturday to begin working with BRPD in hopes of finding the toddler.
