A 48-year-old grandmother has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of her 20-month-old grandchild, authorities said.
Bolivar County Sheriff Kevin Williams said Carolyn Jones was charged Tuesday in the death of Royalty Marie Floyd. Williams said the cause of death is still under investigation, but the toddler’s body was found stabbed and burned in an oven in a Shaw, Mississippi, home.
"I've been doing law enforcement for 25 or 26 years now," Williams told The Associated Press. "This is one of the most horrible things I've seen in doing law enforcement. The hardest part ... is to see a child victim."
Authorities said Royalty lived with Jones. The toddler's mother works in Memphis, Tennessee, according to a neighbor who spoke with WHBQ.
The toddler’s body was found Monday night by Jones’ brother, Williams said. He called local police and the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office was in turn called for assistance.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain told The AP investigators are working to determine when the toddler died and if it was before she was placed in the oven.
The child’s body was transported to the crime lab for an autopsy.
Jones is in jail with bond set at $500,000.
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