Charleroi woman accused of concealing death of her child
Charleroi police arrested a woman Thursday who admitted to hiding the corpse of her 1-year-old son in the wall of her home after the child died in February.
Kylie Lynn Wilt, 25, of 710 Lookout Ave., Charleroi, faces a felony charge for food stamp fraud, and misdemeanors for concealing the death of a child, tampering with physical evidence, obstructing law enforcement and abuse of a corpse.
Police had originally charged the baby’s father, Alan Wayne Hollis, 27, also of 710 Lookout, with obstructing law enforcement. However, that charge was withdrawn and police filed new charges of criminal conspiracy for aiding food stamp fraud and conspiracy to conceal the death of a child.
According to Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh, Hollis is currently incarcerated in SCI Greene for a parole violation.
According to police, Wilt had told Washington County Child & Youth Services that the baby was living in North Carolina with a person named Claire.
CYS found the explanation to be “easily” proven false, according to police, and sent an investigator to Wilt’s home to locate the child on Thursday. When Wilt was uncooperative, the investigator contacted police.
According to police, Wilt told officers that the child had died of sudden infant death syndrome in February at 1005 Upper Crest Ave., Charleroi, where the couple previously lived, and that they did not have money for a funeral.
In a press release issued Friday morning, Walsh said there is an ongoing investigation into the cause of the child’s death.
Wilt admitted to police that she wrapped the body in blankets and placed him in a gray, plastic crate, court documents state. She kept the crate in the laundry room, according to police.
Wilt told police when she moved to Lookout Avenue, she placed the crate in a cubby hole in the wall of her bedroom, covered it with a piece of drywall and painted it to match the rest of the wall.
Police found the crate Wilt described in the wall. Inside the crate, police discovered the body of the child had been wrapped in blankets and placed in a garbage bag.
According to police, CYS opened a case with the family when the baby was born with THC in his system. A case worker told police that on one occasion in September, Hollis told them the child was safe with his grandparents.
According to police, Wilt continued to collect SNAP benefits for her child after he died.
District Judge Mark Wilson sent Wilt to Washington County jail on $50,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear before District Judge Eric Porter at 10:45 a.m. Nov. 18.