A California couple was arrested on Tuesday, months after their 2-year-old daughter was reportedly found buried in the wilderness with injuries consistent with abuse.
On January 8, Shasta County police received a welfare check request for the toddler girl. An interview with her parents, Riley and Amanda Royal, 28 and 24, revealed the girl had died three months earlier and was buried, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A day after the wellness check, investigators and the coroner reportedly exhumed the toddler’s body from the Whiskeytown Recreation Area, where she was illegally buried. An autopsy determined her death was a homicide, though additional details were not disclosed.
A second child in the Royals’ home was placed in protective custody.
Jailed without bond, Riley and Amanda Royal are charged with murder with special allegations and child abuse resulting in death. Their arraignment is scheduled for this Thursday.
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[Feature Photo: Shasta County police]
