In Arizona, two parents were charged with felony abandonment and concealment of a dead body after hiding their 16-year-old son’s body behind a stone wall. Amber-Leah Valentine and Jon Imes had previously reported their son missing, claiming that the teenager had run away. However, on February 28th, an unidentified male body was found wrapped in a blanket behind a stone wall close to the parents’ residence.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office was initially unsure how the body ended up behind the wall. Authorities performed an autopsy on the boy, but the cause and manner of the teen’s death remained unknown.
The case took a shocking turn on March 2nd when Valentine called the police to report that her 14-year-old daughter was being held captive by Valentine’s two roommates. Valentine and her daughter were taken to a local hospital, where Valentine admitted to lying to police when she had reported her son as a runaway. She also confessed that she and Imes had disposed of their son’s body.
“During questioning, Jon Imes admitted to disposing of his son’s body and lying to deputies about him running away,” sheriff’s officials said. The unidentified body found behind the stone wall was identified as the couple’s deceased son.
Authorities searched the parents’ home on Packard Avenue and interviewed the teenage girl. She disclosed that one of her parents’ roommates, Richard Pounds, had shot her in the eye with a BB gun, which led to the Arizona Department of Child Safety stepping in. The girl gave other examples of abuse she had allegedly endured at home.
Deputies charged Valentine and Imes on March 2nd with felony abandonment/concealment of a dead body. The couple was behind bars along with Richard Pounds, who was charged with child abuse and aggravated assault. A second roommate was questioned but later released pending further investigation.
The cause and manner of the teenager’s death remain unknown, and more charges are expected to be filed after the final autopsy results. The allegations of child abuse in the home have raised concerns about the safety and welfare of children in Arizona.
“It’s a very traveled location, so for them to put the body there, it was very strange,” said a sheriff’s office official. The case has left many shocked and outraged at the alleged abuse and neglect of the teenage boy, prompting a call for more stringent laws and regulations to protect children.
“Child abuse is a heinous crime that cannot be tolerated,” said one commentator on social media. “We need to take a stronger stance against child abuse and hold abusers accountable for their actions.”
This case is a reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting children from harm and ensuring their safety and well-being. It is important that authorities investigate any allegations of abuse or neglect and take appropriate action to ensure that children are safe and protected from harm. We must work together as a community to create a safe environment for children to grow and thrive.
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Sources: Scallywagandvagabond, KPHO-TV
