How a Fatal Crash Revealed that Missing Boy, 1, Was ‘Hung’ by Rope, Bloodied in Photo Dad Sent to Mom

• 1-year-old Kahleb Collins was last seen in September, but his disappearance was never reported, police allege
• On Dec. 8, Kahleb’s family members were in a car crash that killed father Steven Collins and sister Ryleigh Collins
• An investigation into the disappearance led to the arrest of Kahleb’s mother Wendy Pamela Bailey and grandfather John Elton Bailey

Authorities in Alabama allege a missing 1-year-old boy — whose disappearance came to light after his family members died in a car crash months after he was last seen — suffered gruesome abuse before vanishing.

Kahleb Collins, 1, was last seen in September 2024 in Winfield, Ala., according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).

Police only learned of his disappearance in December, when his father Steven Bradley Collins and sister RyLeigh Denise Collins died in a car crash. Kahleb is now presumed dead, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said on Dec. 30.

Kahleb’s mother Wendy Pamela Bailey, who was critically injured in the crash, has since been arrested on several charges, including domestic violence.

The investigation into Kahleb’s disappearance led police to unearth gruesome details of alleged abuse authorities say the boy suffered.

In charging documents cited by AL.com, WVTM 13 and WBMA, investigators allege that on at least one occasion, Kahleb was photographed “hanging from a loft with a rope.”

The photographs were shared by Steven sometime in July, the charging documents allege, and were followed up with text messages in which Steven wrote: “He want (sic) move. I’m so sorry.”

At one point in the text exchange, Bailey responded, “He just looks wore out and tire (sic) and hurt hopefully that’s all.”

Steven also allegedly told Bailey that he was going to kill the child.

Bailey is accused of failing to report or intervene during physical abuse, court filings show, per AL.com, WVTM 13 and WBMA.

Police further allege Kahleb was killed, placed in an outdoor storage shed and then moved to a location yet to be determined.

The case has been shrouded in mystery from the beginning of the investigation as questions remain about the circumstances surrounding Kahleb’s disappearance.

In November, Steven wrote in a Facebook post that Kahleb was ill and needed a surgery, PEOPLE previously reported. Per the timeline provided by police, this post was written months after the child was last seen. 

“He is not growing and has major back issues. His organs are growing but not his body,” Steven wrote in the post.

“Keep him in your prayers. Been rough and just seems going to be a long rough tough road ahead of us,” he wrote. 

Meanwhile, a neighbor told WWMT that while they were aware the family had a son, they never saw the boy.

Authorities have not announced an estimated time of death for Kahleb.

Bailey has been charged with abuse of a corpse, aggravated child abuse and domestic violence. She was also charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of RyLeigh, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The children’s grandfather John Elton Bailey is also under arrest on a charge of failing to report Kahleb missing, the sheriff’s office previously told PEOPLE.

Plea and attorney information for Wendy and John were not immediately available.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.