THE search for a missing two-year-old boy has ended after authorities found his body stuffed into a black duffel bag in a trash can.
Ezekiel Harry was missing for around six hours before authorities received a tip on the whereabouts of his remains, according to a news release from the Houma Police Department.
Surveillance footage appears to show the child’s mother, 28-year-old Maya Jones, and her partner, 37-year-old Jermaine Robinson, leaving the area of their Lousiana home with the same black duffle bag in hand that the toddler was found in.
Jones and Robinson are currently in custody as suspects in the murder of Harry and have been charged with several felonies including first-degree murder and obstruction of justice, according to Law & Crime.
Should they be found guilty, they could face the death penalty, police said.
Harry was suspected to be missing following a call around noon on July 12 referencing his possible abduction.
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According to the news release, when authorities contacted Jones, she allegedly stated that she was along Bayou Terrebonne with her kids when a subject in a grey truck passed, grabbing her two-year-old and departed the area.”
After further investigation into her statements, Houma police say they obtained information that Jones’s report was inaccurate.
Once the boy was reported missing, a very extensive search party was dispatched to find the missing toddler.
WFLA reported the team consisted of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the Houma City Marshal’s Office, the US Coast Guard, the Dulagre Fire Department, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The initial statement of Harry’s child abduction search also included a $1,000 reward payable to any anonymous tipster who could provide information that would lead in an arrest for the crime.
The Terrebonne Parish District Attorney, Joseph Waitz Jr., told WFLA, “We are aware of abusive patterns in the past involving this young child.”
Authorities encourage anybody with information on the death of Ezekial Harry to call the Houma Police Department at 985-873-6371.
