Dustin Vandyke Bio – Dustin Vandyke Wiki
Dustin Vandyke and Gracie Riddle after finding an infant’s body behind their home. Both are facing first-degree murder charges stemming from the November 22, 2021, death of their child.
AGE:
Dustin Vandyke is 28 years old.
DETAIL OF INCIDENCE:
A North Carolina couple has been charged with murder after the remains of their newborn baby were found in their backyard.
Dustin Vandyke, 28, and Gracie Riddle, 18, were both charged with killing the infant last year. Police tell WRAL-TV that they believe the baby has died since approximately Thanksgiving of 2021.
The investigation began last Friday around 9 p.m. after police reported that the couple’s baby had died, but the death had never been reported.
Authorities brought cadaver dogs and searched the couple’s property in Erwin, North Carolina — approximately 20 miles outside Fayetteville. They made the grim discovery on Saturday.
“With the assistance of Harnett County Sheriff’s Department’s cadaver canine, investigators discovered a deceased and badly decomposed infant buried behind the residence,” the Erwin Police Department said in a press release, according to the Daily Record.
Police did not publicly name the tipster but said they likely knew about the infant’s death for several months.
“I think this person just finally got to the point to where their conscience got to [them] and they decided they needed to talk about it and tell someone and that’s how we initially got the report,” Erwin Chief of Police Jonathan Johnson told WRAL.
According to CBS-17, police have been unable to determine the sex of the baby.
The Medical Examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy this week to determine the baby’s cause of death. Authorities did not disclose a motive in the case.
Vandyke and Riddle have each been charged with one count of first-degree murder. They have not yet entered a plea, and court records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on their behalf. They are being held without bond.