Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Drew Nelson. In Alabama, 22-year-old Wendy Pamela Bailey is arrested and charged following the horrifying revelation that she failed to intervene or report as her one-year-old son, Caleb... Rowan Collins was allegedly tortured and killed by his father Stephen Collins. Caleb is missing. To me it's like what could that child have done?
to make you do what was listed in those court documents. Nothing. That child couldn't have done anything. That's a neighbor on WBMA. Court documents reveal that in July, Bailey received text messages from Collins detailing the abuse. These included photos of Caleb tied with a rope, bruised and bleeding, as well as a message from Collins saying, quote, he won't move.
as written, I'm so sorry. And another message said, quote, he moving to which Bailey replied, quote, he just looks wore out and tired and hurt. Hopefully that's all. Despite knowing about the abuse, Bailey allegedly took no action to protect her child. She later admitted that after Caleb's death, his body was placed in a bag and stored in an outdoor shed before being moved to an unknown location.
Caleb's disappearance came to light after a December 8th car crash in Glen Allen, Alabama, that killed Stephen Collins and Caleb's two-year-old sister, Riley Denise Collins. Bailey, who was critically injured in the crash, now faces charges of aggravated child
abuse, corpse abuse, first degree domestic violence and criminally negligent homicide. The crash investigation revealed that Stephen Collins was driving recklessly 92 miles an hour on a wet road when he lost control of the vehicle crashing into a tree.
Neither Collins nor Bailey were wearing seatbelts, and Riley, who was unrestrained, was pronounced dead at the scene. Collins died the following day from his injuries. Authorities believe Caleb had been deceased for months before the crash. Bailey's father, 55-year-old...
John Elton Bailey, was arrested for failing to report Caleb's disappearance. Court filings allege that John Bailey knew Caleb was missing and that the child had likely suffered serious bodily harm or death, but failed to notify authorities. He remains in custody.
on a bond of $100,000. Search efforts at the family's home in Winfield, Alabama, have included digging up the yard and bringing in the cadaver dogs, but they have not yielded any results. Prosecutors are seen to deny Wendy Bailey bond under Anaya's law.
citing her alleged neglect and the severity of her charges. Anaya's law is a legal reform in Alabama that expands the ability of judges to deny bail to individuals based on certain violent crimes. The investigation remains active and authorities... are urging anyone with information to contact the Fayette County Sheriff's Office at 205-932-3205. More crime and justice news after this.
Some newspapers are reconsidering how they handle archives of old crime stories in order to address the lingering effects on people. Efforts to expunge criminal records have expanded to include outdated media coverage with programs like Cleveland.com. Right to Be Forgotten, offering a path for people to request removal of names or articles. Chris Quinn, the editor of Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, launched the initiative in 2018 after hearing repeated pleas from individuals whose lives...
were derailed by past media coverage. People would say, your story is wrecking my life. I made a mistake, but I've changed my life. Quinn's program allows for review of requests tied to minor nonviolent offenses, particularly those at least four years old. Cases involving violence, sex offenses, or public officials generally remain untouched. The goal is to balance public and...
with the need for individuals to rebuild their lives. The approach has since inspired similar initiatives at other news outlets, including the Boston Globe, NJ.com, the Bangor Daily News, and The Oregonian. Many of these programs gained momentum following the 20th.
2020 racial justice protests, which prompted newsrooms to reassess their practices, especially the use of mugshots. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is one of the newsrooms embracing this shift. The AJC has begun reviewing archives to Grant Rick... For the removal of names or images in minor cases, particularly when individuals have demonstrated rehabilitation. By doing so, the AJC is aiming to reduce barriers to reintegration in society caused by outdated media.
coverage. The Oregonians Clean Slate program launched in 2021 is taking this a step further. The newspaper reviews requests to delete mugshots, names or entire articles related to minor crimes. It carefully verifies. that individuals have fulfilled court requirements and shown a significant change in their lives. One applicant described how a nearly decade-old article about a nonviolent conviction continued to harm his reputation. After his request was approved, he experienced
For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert Hourly Update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson.