PA Couple Arrested After Infant Found Dead In Bucket Of Kitty Litter

A Pennsylvania couple is facing criminal charges after police say they hid the body of their infant daughter in a plastic container filled with cat litter in a crawlspace inside their West Lawn home, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office.

Samantha Trump, 27, and Shaun Oxenreider, 25, are charged with abuse of a corpse, concealing the whereabouts of a child and criminal conspiracy, according to a criminal complaint.

Spring Township police began an investigation when two relatives of Oxenreider contacted them, reporting that they’d heard about the death of the 6-month old baby, the criminal complaint says.

Police eventually searched a locked bathroom in the couple’s residence, that Oxenreider opened with a key. Inside they discovered used diapers, pictures of the baby, and baby clothing. A door inside the bathroom leading to a crawl space was also found. When police looked inside, they found a large plastic container with the lid snapped shut, the criminal complaint says. The container was filled with cat litter.

Officials are still trying to determine how and when the child died. An autopsy has been scheduled.

The couple is charged with concealing the death of a child, abuse of a corpse and conspiracy.

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