Mother now arrested in Baton Rouge after 2-year-old’s body was found in South MS

The mother of Nevaeh Allen — the 2-year-old who went missing last week and whose body was found in Mississippi on Sunday — has been arrested, Baton Rouge Police Department says.

A spokesman would not say what she is charged with. A press conference is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Nevaeh went missing last Friday. Her body was found in remote Pearlington, Mississippi, two days later.

The girl’s stepfather, Phillip Gardner was accused of disposing of the body; he was charged with unlawful disposal of remains and obstruction of justice.

Police say he said at first that he had laid down for a nap and awoke to find the girl missing, but later admitted he had found her “unresponsive and lifeless.”

Family members say Gardner had a “toxic relationship” with Nevaeh’s mother, Lanaya Cardwell, that was sometimes marked by violence.

Read more at TheAdvocate.com