Mom charged in 2-year-old’s death says her 1-year-old was killed too, AL officials say
.png "Kahleb Collins is believed to be dead after reports of abuse unfolded in Alabama.")
An Alabama woman has been charged in connection to the death of her 2-year-old daughter, then tells authorities her son was killed too, according to officials.
Wendy Pamela Bailey is charged with negligent homicide, domestic violence, abuse of a corpse and aggravated child abuse, according to court records obtained by WIAT.
Attorney information for Bailey was not available.
The homicide charge stems from an incident on Dec. 8, in which Bailey was involved in a car crash that resulted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Ryleigh Collins, according to court records.
Ryleigh was not properly restrained in the vehicle, officials said.
Bailey’s husband, Steven Bradley Collins, also died in the crash, according to AL.com. Collins was accused of “aggressively” driving 92 mph before crashing into a tree, the news outlet reported.
The following day, authorities were notified that the couple’s 1-year-old son Kahleb Collins was missing, according to a Dec. 30 news release from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
A criminal complaint filed Dec. 31 detailed what investigators believe happened to Kahleb.
On July 24, a text exchange between Bailey and Steven Collins revealed photos of Kahleb being abused, according to officials.
Steven Collins texted Bailey saying he was “going to kill” Kahleb then sent her a photo of Kahleb hanging by a rope with blood on him, according to court documents. Another photo showed Kahleb lying on the ground with bruises on his body, the complaint said.
Steven Collins then sent texts to Bailey that said “he want move” and “I’m so sorry” and another one that said “he moving,” officials said. Bailey replied “he just looks wore out and tired and hurt hopefully that’s all,” the complaint said.
Bailey is accused of failing to intervene and get Kahleb help from “torturous” abuse on more than two occasions, officials said.
Bailey told investigators that sometime between September and October, Kahleb died and his body was put in a bag and placed in a storage building before he was disposed of at an unknown location, another criminal complaint said.
Kahleb’s body has not been found as of Dec. 30, officials said.
Fayette County is in northwest Alabama, an about 75-mile drive west of Birmingham.
This story was originally published January 1, 2025 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Mom charged in 2-year-old’s death says her 1-year-old was killed too, AL officials say."
