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UPDATE DEC. 31 — Court documents filed Tuesday have revealed chilling new details in the case of missing Fayette toddler, Kahleb Rowan Collins. Wendy Pamela Bailey, the mother of the 15-month-old boy, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse, following allegations of her failure to intervene in the abuse of her son.
According to the court filings, Bailey failed to report known instances of physical abuse committed by Kahleb’s father, Steven Bradley Collins, in July 2024. The documents allege that Bailey knowingly allowed her son to endure horrific abuse, which included being bound with rope, physically assaulted, and suspended by a rope from a loft, with visible blood and bruising. The filing notes that there is photographic evidence to support these claims.
In addition to the child abuse charges, Bailey faces an abuse of a corpse charge. The documents describe how, after Kahleb’s death, his body was placed into a bag and stored in an outside storage building before being disposed of in an undisclosed location. The treatment of the child’s remains is said to have “outraged ordinary family sensibilities.”
The filing also includes details of text messages exchanged between Bailey and Steven Collins. In one, Collins reportedly sent a message to Bailey stating he was going to kill the child, followed by photos showing Kahleb hanging from a rope with blood on his body. Bailey’s response was dismissive, stating that Kahleb “just looks wore out and tired and hurt hopefully that’s all.”
Bailey was booked into the Fayette County jail on Monday and is being held on charges that include abuse of a corpse and aggravated child abuse. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has been searching for Kahleb for three weeks, but they now believe the toddler is deceased.
Wendy Bailey’s father, John Bailey, is also in custody at the Fayette County jail, facing a $100,000 bond for failing to report a missing child.
No court hearings were scheduled for Tuesday, but the District Attorney’s Office has indicated that further legal proceedings will take place in the coming days. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities continue to search for answers in the tragic case.
Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ala. (BFMG) — The mother of a 1-year-old boy who went missing after a vehicle crash involving his parents has been charged in connection to his disappearance and the death of his 2-year-old sister.
Wendy Pamela Bailey, 22, faces multiple charges including aggravated child abuse, first-degree domestic violence, abuse of a corpse, and criminally negligent homicide. According to authorities, the criminally negligent homicide charge is related to the death of her daughter, 2-year-old Ryleigh, who was unrestrained in the vehicle driven by Steven Collins during the fatal crash.
The disappearance of Bailey’s son, Kahleb, is also under investigation. Authorities believe Kahleb has been deceased for several months, though his body has yet to be recovered. Law enforcement agencies are continuing their search for his remains.
Bailey was arrested and booked into the Fayette County Jail, where she is awaiting a bond hearing. The District Attorney’s Office has indicated their intention to request that her bond be denied under Aniah’s Law, which allows for the denial of bond in certain child abuse cases.
District Attorney Andy Hamlin expressed his condolences for the loss of the two children, noting that the investigation has been particularly challenging. “I want to commend the efforts and cooperation shown by every agency involved: the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and the Alabama State Troopers,” Hamlin said. “Now that the charges have been brought, I look forward to getting the case to court to seek justice for these two innocent children.”
Kahleb Collins’ uncle, Dwayne Collins, also commented on the case, expressing hope that answers would eventually come. “Hopefully, we can start getting some answers,” he said.
More charges may be filed as the investigation continues. Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at 205-932-3205, the State Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-392-8011, or the District Attorney’s Office at 205-367-9915.
