A 2-year-old child was allegedly beaten to death at an illegal daycare run by the wife of a 40-year-old U.S. Army, a federal indictment states.
Staff Sgt. Kevin Long, 40, was indicted in June by a federal grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and making a false statement or representation related to the child’s death. The sealed indictment was made public following Long’s first court appearance.
The incident reportedly happened in November 2019, at a home in Pulaski County, at the Fort Leonard Wood Army installation. Long is accused of physically assaulting the toddler, referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents, in an ongoing pattern.
The indictment states that Long caused her death through blunt force injuries, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri.
Since the death occurred within the boundaries of Fort Leonard Wood, it places the crime under the “special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States.” The case, subsequently, is being handled in federal court.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that a murder committed during the act of child abuse is considered “first-degree murder.” The second charge arises from Long’s alleged falsehoods given to federal investigators who reviewed the case.
Long allegedly said “he was unaware of United States Army regulations that restricted the operation of a day care at Fort Leonard Wood,” court documents state.
“The statement and representation were false because, as Kevin Long then and there knew, United States Army regulations restricted the operation of a day care at Fort Leonard Wood,” the indictment read.
Long remains behind bars in federal custody. A detention hearing is scheduled for July 6. It’s unclear if his wife is currently facing charges for operating an illegal daycare.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Kevin Long/Greene County Jail]
