OTTAWA, Kan. — Authorities announced late Saturday night that they recovered what they believe are the remains of 18-month-old Lana Bailey, a victim of a quadruple murder in Franklin County, Kan.
An Osage County Sheriff’s Office deputy was checking an area for items believed to be connected to the murders. Franklin County was called in to assist and confirmed the items found were connected to Lana Bailey. They await forensic results to make the final determination, but Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards said they believe the remains are that of the child.
Her mother, Kaylie Bailey was found Monday on the property along with her friend Andrew Stout and Steven White.
“It is with great sadness that I report a body found in Osage County, Kansas, is believed to be the remains of 18-month-old Lana Bailey. I want the family of Lana, and all the victims, to know that this investigation will continue until we are confident we have collected as much evidence as we can to ensure justice is served on behalf of all four victims,” Richards said.
Investigators looked for six long days
Earlier Saturday, searchers scoured the property located off the Georgia Road outside of Ottawa.
Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards said 150 people were working to try to find the little girl.
Dive teams also searched nearby waterways and farm ponds, but the sheriff said they have found nothing.
“We had some dive teams out searching some area ponds. Those searches have been completed. We still have not located baby Lana,” Richards told reporters at the time.
“We’ve had dogs come in again to search that area again and we had other searchers in there and were confident that she would’ve been located on that property,” Richards explained.
Investigators were also feeling exhaustion creeping up on them.
“I need people to get a little but of rest, so that we can come back before we have a big group like that, because we’re not going to be affective and I don’t want us to miss anything or mishandle something just because of exhaustion,” Richards explained.
The sheriff said while law enforcement officials will keep looking for Lana, it will be without the help of the major case squad and they will be cutting their operation down to about 50 people.
He said although they don’t want this outcome, the search will end eventually if a body isn’t found.
“At this time, that’s a decision we will have to make in the probably not so distant future, but until we get to that point, we will continue to search those areas. But again, they’re going to have to be targeted searches from here on out,” the sheriff said.
Prosecutors filed charges against Kyle Flack, 27, for the murders. Flack faces two capital murder charges, a rape charge and an unlawful use of a firearm charge.
He is expected back in court on May 13
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