'Adoptive mother' charged after body of missing 9-year-old Pennsylvania girl found in river
The missing girl's body was found in a river in southwestern Pennsylvania.
A Pennsylvania woman was charged with criminal homicide after a 9-year-old girl in her care, initially reported as missing, was found dead in a river in southwestern Pennsylvania, according to state police.
Kourtney Malinda Eutsey, 31, was charged with criminal homicide after the body of 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey was discovered in Pennsylvania's Youghiogheny River on Thursday morning, state police said.
WTAE, the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, reported Kourtney Eutsey was the "adoptive mother" of Renesmay.
According to a police affidavit, Eutsey told authorities the child had suffered an untreated burn injury about a week before her death. On Sept. 2, when the child began vomiting and choking, Eutsey said she attempted CPR for "twenty to thirty minutes" before the child died.
Eutsey told investigators she didn't call emergency services, because she feared getting in trouble due to the child's burn injuries and appearance, according to the affidavit.
Investigators said Eutsey placed the body in a black bag and then a tote and drove to an area near Perryopolis, where she left it along the riverbank, according to the affidavit. The body was discovered Thursday morning near Smithton after Eutsey directed police to the location, according to the affidavit.
The discovery came after other children in the home revealed crucial details to investigators, according to the affidavit. One child told police they overheard plans to take the victim "to a river far far away," while another disclosed witnessing physical abuse, according to the affidavit.
State police had issued a missing person alert for Renesmay on Sept. 3, describing her as 4 feet tall, weighing 45 pounds, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen in in Dunbar Borough, with authorities noting she might be at special risk of harm or injury.
According to police records, Eutsey faces eight charges in total, including endangering the welfare of children, abuse of a corpse by disposing of it in the river, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of aggravated assault --one for attempting to cause injury with extreme indifference and another because the victim was under 13 years old.
The Fayette County District Attorney's Office acknowledged the efforts of numerous agencies and law enforcement personnel involved in the extensive search over the two-day period.
