The custodial parents of a Virginia boy whose body was found in a freezer at the family’s home have been charged with conspiring to conceal the body, police announced Wednesday.
News outlets report that Chesterfield County police also charged Kassceen and Dina Weaver with failing to render aid to the boy, Eliel Adon Weaver, after investigators discovered his remains at the family’s Midlothian home in May.
Police said they learned May 4 that a child’s remains might be found at the Weaver’s home. After investigators obtained a search warrant for the home, detectives found human remains in a freezer in the garage.
The medical examiner confirmed the remains are those of a child under age 5, but hasn’t yet determined the cause and manner of the child’s death, police said. Another child who lived in the home has been placed into foster care.
“This is definitely a very unique death investigation,” Maj. Michael Louth said. “There were so many unknowns and so many things that had to be done differently than a normal death investigation.”
Investigators estimate that the child’s body had been in the freezer for up to two years, according to Louth, the criminal investigations bureau commander. The medical examiner brought in forensic anthropologists to avoid losing evidence as the body was thawed slowly and DNA testing was needed to verify that the child's identity, he said.
Police confirmed through DNA testing that Dina Weaver is the child’s biological mother, but they haven’t yet confirmed whether Kassceen Weaver is his biological father.
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Kassceen Weaver was also charged with concealment of a body, domestic assault and malicious wounding of his wife, police said. The Weavers were both released on bond and are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 5.
No phone listing could be found for the Weavers and an attorney listed in court records for Kassceen Weaver did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
