Two arrested following report that kids were killed, burned in backyard, Indiana cops say
A man and woman were arrested after Indiana officials said they found buried bone fragments on their former property, news outlets reported.
Steven Valle, 31, and Samantha Sebella, 25, are charged with murder, neglect of a dependent causing death, abuse of a corpse, obstruction of justice and failure to report a dead body, Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson and Jasper County Coroner Andy Boersma said in a joint news release on Oct. 4.
Attorney information for the man and woman was not available.
An investigation began Sept. 20 after authorities received reports that someone confessed to killing their two children, officials said.
The individual told acquaintances that they killed their two undocumented children, then burned their bodies in a fire pit at their now former residence in Wheatfield, authorities said.
That same day, detectives found the suspects, identified as Valle and Sebella, at a hotel. The two were questioned and denied having any involvement, the release said. Investigators searched their cell phones and found additional information.
On Sept. 30, officials and cadaver dogs searched the property in Wheatfield. The dogs alerted three different locations where partial bone fragments were found, officials said.
The bones were sent to a specialist to determine if they are animal or infant bones, officials said.
“It’s a shame if there’s babies buried in the backyard,” neighbor Kathy Hudspath told WBBM. “It is disgusting.”
What happened to the kids?
Text messages between Sebella and Valle indicated that Valle allegedly killed multiple children and burned them, WXIN reported, citing court documents.
“YOU KILLED OUR BABIES, I HAVE THERE DNA IN MY BODY FOREVER,” a message said, according to WXIN.
During an interview with officials, Valle said that Sebella gave birth to a baby boy in 2018 while home alone, WXIN reported. He said when he came home, Sebella was passed out and the baby was not breathing.
Valle told police he put the baby in a box and buried him. Then, he said Sebella gave birth a second time at home in a bathtub while he was at work. He said when he returned the baby was dead wrapped in a blanket and he buried that baby in the backyard next to the other infant, the news outlet reported.
“Police revealed that Valle told them the children were buried for 3-5 years before he dug them up and burned them in the fire pit,” the news outlet reported.
Officials said the incident remains under investigation.
Wheatfield is about a 120-mile drive west of Fort Wayne.
This story was originally published October 6, 2024 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Two arrested following report that kids were killed, burned in backyard, Indiana cops say."
