Father arrested in death of missing baby just hours after he made plea for son’s safe return
Published 9:15 am Thursday, May 13, 2021
The father of a missing infant in Alabama was arrested on manslaughter charges Wednesday just hours after making a public plea for the baby’s safe return.
News outlets report that the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said investigators on Wednesday night found the body of 5-week-old Caleb Whisnand, Jr., who had been reported missing earlier. Sheriff’s deputies arrested the infant’s father, Caleb Whisnand, Sr. soon after he participated in a news conference about the disappearance.
Whisnand, Sr. said during the news conference that he didn’t remember much, and asked the public for information, including where he had been before the disappearance.
“I don’t remember a lot. But I did remember I was breaking up with the cops. If anybody’s got anything, any place I could have gone,” he said.
It was not immediately clear if Whisnand has a lawyer.
The baby’s mother, Angela Gardner, said the baby was with Whisnand and he told her that he realized the infant was missing when he went to go pay at a gas station.
“Please, find him, please,” Gardner told reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Trent Beasley said authorities were alerted to the situation after they received a 911 call Monday night from a convenience store about the missing child. However, a missing child alert from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the baby was last seen Saturday night.