A Washington father is behind bars after authorities say the body of his 4-year-old son was found buried underneath a home.
Jacob Scott Bevins, 36, is accused of causing fatal injuries to his young son, Aiden Bevins, before burying the child’s remains under the residence, according to reports.
Bevins was booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail on Friday, June 5, on several serious charges, including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, homicide by abuse, assault of a child and unlawful disposal of remains.
He was also booked on suspicion of making false or misleading statements to a public servant, according to jail records.
Authorities reportedly found Aiden’s body on May 15 inside a tote bag buried beneath a property investigators say was owned by Bevins’ grandmother. Relatives told police that both Bevins and the child’s grandmother had been living at the home.
Investigators began looking into the case after receiving conflicting stories about where Aiden was. Bevins allegedly told authorities the boy was living out of state with relatives, but police later determined that was not true.
Aiden had allegedly been missing for about a year before his body was discovered.
The boy’s biological mother reportedly told investigators she had not seen Aiden for roughly a year while she was incarcerated. She said she believed her son was with family in Idaho.
According to reports citing a probable cause affidavit, Bevins told investigators that Aiden accidentally hit his head while running to the bathroom and later died.
But prosecutors say the child’s injuries told a different story.
A preliminary postmortem examination conducted at the Thurston County Coroner’s Office allegedly found extensive injuries consistent with ongoing abuse, according to reports.
Before his death, Aiden had reportedly spent time in foster care.
Bevins was taken into custody Friday morning. Prosecutors requested a 72-hour hold while formal criminal charges are considered.
He is being held on $150,000 bail.
