Missing Baby Found Alive, Mother Arrested

Florida Chipley NEW VIDEOThe desperate search for a missing 7 month old baby is over. Investigators found the infant in a small cedar box under a bed. The baby's mother and aunt are in jail.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Thu, November 05, 2009 - 8:22 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, November 05, 2009 - 10:33 pm CST

CHIPLEY, Florida - The mother of a seven month old baby missing since Saturday is in jail tonight.

Christina Mercer is accused of giving her baby away then lying to investigators about her disappearance.

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock fought back tears as he described a 2 foot by 3 foot cedar chest where Shannon Dedrick was found alive Wednesday night. Sheriff Haddock says Susan Baker, the baby's aunt who detectives believed conspired with Mercer, put a blanket and baking soda in the box to mask the smell of little Shannon's soiled diaper.

"She was in the box almost twelve hours," said Haddock. "Five or six of us called our wives to let them know we had found the child. There were a lot of grown men crying, shedding tears."

Shannon's discovery ended a five day search, which involved state, local and federal investigators. Detectives returned to Baker's trailer on Orange Hill Road Thursday, but no one was home.

During a court hearing Thursday afternoon, a judge set Mercer's bond at $75,000 and forbid her to have contact with her baby.

Baker, who was convicted in a 1987 child abuse case and questioned in an unsolved disappearance of a missing South Carolina girl the same year, has a bond of $150,000.

Shannon's father, who is not charged in the case, didn't want to talk to News Five as he left the courthouse. Shannon, at least for now, is in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families, and a custody hearing is expected next week.

WKRG.com » News Stream » Florida

Video
Photo

Embed:

WKRG.com Related

News –› Florida

Discuss this in the forum

Email to a Friend

Printer Friendly

Download Video

lillybell Says:

Sat, Nov 07, 2009 at 7:44 am

what were they going to do? sell the baby? sounds like the entire family was involved.

SumOneILove Says:

Fri, Nov 06, 2009 at 8:07 am

I will take her!!!!

framkly Says:

Thu, Nov 05, 2009 at 10:43 pm

For the 12 hours the child was in a 2x3 box, Mercer and Baker each should get a year a hour in a 8x10 jail cell. I hope a loving home place is found for little Shannon.