The mother of a 4-year-old Tennessee girl whose remains were discovered late Thursday night allegedly told police that her daughter had been dead for weeks before she reported her missing.
According to WREG, Brittany Jackson originally told Memphis police that she realized Sequoia Samuels was missing after getting text messages from her aunt about the front door being open. However, police said that Jackson later admitted that Samuels was fatally beaten by her live-in boyfriend, Jaylon Hobson, weeks before they falsely reported her disappearance.
Jackson allegedly told cops that she did not provide aid to her daughter after Hobson could not revive her. She claimed they then put the body in several bags in the home — where it remained for several weeks before they transported it to a garbage container outside their apartment, WREG reported.
A search warrant uncovered remains that are believed to be Samuels. Hobson, who denied killing Samuels, allegedly said he last saw the girl on June 11. However, police determined that is not likely due to the advanced decomposition of the body, according to WMC.
According to WREG, the Department of Children’s Services had prior contact with Samuels’ family. However, the nature of its involvement was not disclosed. The agency confirmed to WATN that it is investigating Samuels’ death.
Earlier reports from Samuels’ disappearance indicated that she had a feeding tube and that the girl was seen on surveillance cameras early Thursday morning, as CrimeOnline reported. It’s not clear who reported seeing the girl on video.
Jackson was charged with child neglect, abuse of a corpse, and false reporting. Hobson was charged with false reporting. The pair remain jailed without bond as they await a June 20 court hearing.
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[Featured image: Sequoia Samuels/Memphis Police Department; Brittany Jackson, Jaylon Hobson/Shelby County Sheriff’s Office]
