Chris McNabb (pictured in a mugshot) was charged with murder after police found his 15-day-old daughter in the woods
A father whose infant daughter was found dead inside a duffel bag in Covington, Georgia has been charged with murder, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Wednesday.
Christopher McNabb, 27, was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery and concealing the death of his 15-day-old baby Caliyah after she was found in the woods behind Eagle Point Trailer Park on Sunday.
Authorities arrested McNabb later that day after he was named a person of interest and fled when the baby was discovered by volunteer searchers wrapped in a blue cloth.
Police said they received a report from McNabb and the baby’s mother, Courtney Bell, who claimed Caliyah went missing after she was put back to bed following a feeding inside their home at Eagle Point Mobile Park.
The baby, Caliyah McNabb, was found dead in the woods near Eagle Point Trailer Park in Covington on Sunday
The mother of the dead baby – Courtney Bell (pictured here in tears) has not been named a person of interest in the case
The parents told officials that Caliyah was fine when they fed and changed her at 5 a.m. Saturday but five hours later when they went into her bedroom, she was gone.
Police said the situation was ‘suspicious,’ according to WSBTV and the case went from a missing child incident to a homicide.
Chris McNabb called police claiming his daughter disappeared Saturday morning
A passerby shows the scene of the crime where Caliyah was found dead in the woods
Pictured here is the crime scene where the 15-day-old girl was left in a duffel bag
‘A fifteen-day-old child obviously didn’t leave by themselves,’ Newton County Sheriff’s Dept. Capt. Keith Crum said.
Volunteers were searching a wooded area near the family home Sunday when they discovered the infant’s body under a log.
Police went looking for McNabb Sunday evening, as according to Crum, McNabb was in his girlfriend’s car when he found out that his daughter’s body had been found.
He allegedly jumped out of the car at the intersection of Highway 36 and Covington By-Pass Road and ran away.
She told police that her daughter was absolutely fine Saturday morning at 5 a.m. but then when they went to her bedroom at 10 a.m. she was nowhere to be seen
Volunteers (pictured here) were searching a wooded area near the home of the family Sunday when they discovered the infant’s body under a log
Officials then found him at a gas station car wash where they arrested him immediately on a probation violation.
A distraught Bell was taken to police headquarters where she gave a statement, and was later released – while the child’s father was missing.
The infant’s body is currently being held at a coroner’s office where an autopsy will take place.
It will be conducted at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation headquarters so officials can determine the child’s identity and exact cause of death.