Alabama police are currently conducting a search for a 1-year-old boy who was last seen in September. However, it wasn’t until early December, following a tragic car crash that claimed the lives of his father and sibling, that the boy was reported missing. As a result of the accident, his mother is currently in critical condition.
An urgent search is underway for the boy as authorities question other family members. The police have taken the boy’s paternal grandfather, who resided with the family, into custody, but there have been no leads regarding the boy’s location.
In early December, the family experienced a car crash.
On December 8, 2024, tragedy struck the Collins family when a devastating car accident claimed the lives of 1-year-old Kahleb Collins’ father, Steven Collins, and his sister, Ryleigh Collins. Kahleb’s mother, Wendy Bailey, miraculously survived the crash and was immediately airlifted to UAB Hospital. Currently, she is receiving critical care in the ICU, as reported by WIAT. Shockingly, it was revealed that neither Steven nor 2-year-old Ryleigh were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
Authorities were unaware of Kahleb’s existence as he was not present at the scene.
According to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, authorities discovered on December 9th that Steven Collins and Bailey had a child together who was missing following the car accident. Neighbors, who were aware of the child’s existence, informed ABC 33/40 that they had never seen the boy, only the daughter.
There is a mystery surrounding Kahleb’s disappearance as nobody seems to have any clue about what might have happened to him.
According to neighbors, they inquired about the boy’s whereabouts and were informed by the family that he was unwell and staying with relatives. The family asserted that Kahleb had health concerns and was residing with a family friend. As per the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the last known sighting of the boy was on September 4, as reported by WVTM.
Only one family member has been questioned so far.
According to a report by ABC 33/40, John Elton Bailey, the boy’s maternal grandfather, was taken into custody on December 11 for failing to report a missing child. He is currently held on a bond of $100,000. Although the court documents do not mention Kahleb specifically, they indicate that Bailey had a responsibility to report the boy’s disappearance, which he allegedly failed to fulfill. It is worth noting that John Bailey resided with the family.
It appears that the state had some involvement with the family, based on the available evidence.
Documents obtained by WBRC reveal that the Alabama Department of Human Resources had some level of involvement with the family. The exact nature of this involvement remains unclear, as privacy laws prevent the disclosure of further information.
According to the outlet, Kahleb’s disappearance was not officially recognized until December 17, when the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued an Emergency Missing Child Alert. This was over a week after he was initially reported as “unaccounted for” and nearly a week after John Bailey’s arrest.