A Colorado woman reportedly revealed details about the death of her 7-year-old son, whose body was found encased in cement, to a fellow inmate.
As Dearly previously reported, Elisha Pankey, 43, was charged with child abuse, resulting in death, and abuse of a corpse after police discovered the corpse of her son, Caden McWilliams in a Denver self-serve storage unit.
Leasing agent here confirms she knows the suspect & her son personally. Public records show this is Elisha Pankey’s most recent address— Cherry Plaza Apts near Evans & I-25. Pankey is accused of abusing and killing her 7yo son. Boy’s body was found in nearby storage unit. pic.twitter.com/xhKiZbWAFJ
— Michael Konopasek (@MikeKonopasek) January 3, 2019
However, Pankey was already in police custody for suspicion of heroin possession prior to the charges regarding her son. Police arrested her on December 22. This was one day before police discovered Caden’s body.
NBC News reports that an inmate told police that Pankey allegedly told her details about the boy’s death. The woman was not identified in court records.
However, she told police that Pankey and her husband would force Caden inside of an animal carrier. The woman said that Pankey told her that one night in July, they kept him in the cage overnight. Pankey reportedly said they ignored the 7-year-old’s complaints of being thirsty and hot.
According to the court records, Pankey allegedly said that by morning, Caden was dead. The woman says the mother believes her son suffocated, NBC News reports.
Further, she reportedly said that she and her husband carried the carrier with her son’s corpse still inside to the storage unit. Once they arrived, they poured concrete on him and wrapped the carrier in trash bags.
After the Denver coroner’s office identified the boy’s body, they were unable to determine the cause of death. However, they noted injuries “to his head, chest and limbs, some of which showed signs of healing.” Further, the coroner reported that he was abnormally thin.
Records show that the family had been living in hotels. Caden last attended school toward the end of May. Also, Pankey removed her son from Denver Public Schools for the fall of 2018, saying that he would be home-schooled.
NBC reports that police began investigating the Pankeys in mid-December after the 43-year-old told officers that her husband had choked and threatened to kill her.
Leland Pankey, Caden’s father, has been in jail since late December on an outstanding warrant.
His arrest followed Pankey’s complaints to police that he took their son and daughter to live with him in November. She also said he had been sending her threatening text messages. Police have not charged him in relation to his son’s death.
Pankey is scheduled to appear in court again on April 2.