WARRENSBURG, Mo. — A joint investigation has resulted in the arrest and criminal charging of two people suspected of leaving an infant’s body in a cave found on March 4. Latasha Wilson, 19, has been charged with abandonment of a corpse and Zakary Carter, 20, has been charged with tampering with physical evidence. Both charges are class D felonies.
A release from the Warrensburg Police Department indicates that evidence ascertained by both the University of Central Missouri Police Department and Warrensburg Police Department implicate Wilson and Carter.
When police discovered the body at the Pertle Springs Cave they said the corpse had been there for some time. Police indicated that Wilson was named as a suspect in this case earlier in the week and was brought in for questioning on Friday.
Court documents indicate that Wilson admitted she had been pregnant and gave birth to the baby boy in January of 2014. At some point after the delivery she said both she and Carter discovered the baby was deceased. She then told investigators that she and Carter took the baby boy’s body to a cave at Pertle Springs and left the body there.
Carter is charged for tampering with physical evidence because he allegedly returned to the cave after the pair had left the body. He’s accused of burning the body in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The punishments for each of their charges as it currently stands is a prison term not to exceed four years and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000 if they are convicted.
Authorities are waiting on a formal autopsy to be completed to see if additional charges will be filed and the investigation is also still ongoing. Police still urge anyone with information about this case to contact (660) 747-9133.
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