Two weeks before a 10-year-old Indiana girl was discovered deceased in a garbage bag tucked away in her family’s shed; her stepmother took to Facebook to complain about one of her children.
On August 22, the mom, Amanda Carmack, told her Facebook friends she was at the “end of my rope” with one of her daughters.
Amanda wrote:
Soo… I’ve got a child that has been hiding food in their pants and flushing it after the meal. Regularly! This same child has also been sneaking hot cocoa packets and candy, eating them, and hiding them in their bed. Then… She tried to lie about it. That’s just the past week. Previously, she has run away, stolen money from me and continually lied about anything she thinks I’m too busy/stupid to know about. I’m really at the end of my rope with this one…
Thirteen days later, the 34-year-old was arrested for the death of her 10-year-old stepdaughter, Skylea Carmack.
Body Of Missing 10-Year-Old Girl Skylea Carmack Found In Plastic Bag In Shed – https://t.co/xJ4iQiNBuW pic.twitter.com/dn4AaQlTZ2
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 4, 2019
According to ABC News, Skylea had been missing since Saturday, August 31. Authorities say it was her stepmom, Amanda, who initially reported her disappearance.
As The Washington Post reports, authorities had searched the shed where Skylea would later be found on Sunday, September 1. Evidence would eventually send the officers back to the shed days later.
That’s when officers discovered Skylea body inside a garbage bag on September 4. Sergeant Tony Slocum, a spokesman for the Indiana State Police, explained why officers didn’t find the 10-year-old’s body the first time they searched the shed:
“The shed was searched initially but she was in a trash bag and you can imagine if you’re looking for a person you’re not looking for a little trash bag. At that point, they had no indication that something nefarious had happened to her.”
Authorities believe Skylea was killed on August 31 between 4:30 and 6 p.m., based off of what preliminary evidence tells them. And they believe the mom acted alone.
Skylea’s father, Kevin Carmack, told FOX59 that his daughter was at home with her stepmom on Saturday while he was at work.
JUST IN: Shortly after 3AM, police found the body of 10-year-old Skylea Carmack.
She was found in a trash bag in a shed behind her Gas City home.
Her step-mom 34-year old Amanda Carmack has been arrested for her murder.
Police to give an update within a few mins. @FOX59 pic.twitter.com/pE3KmjiHQi
— Alexa Green (@AlexaGreenNews) September 4, 2019
Sergeant Slocum confirmed that Skylea was strangled to death. However, he didn’t explain the motive behind Skylea’s death:
“To try to rationalize why someone would kill a 10-year-old, there’s no rationale for that. That’s just an act of cowardice.”
In that same press conference, a spokesperson for the Department of Child Services couldn’t confirm if the family had been involved in any other prior domestic incidents. However, it was revealed that six other children were living in the home at the time of Skylea’s death.
Each child has since been removed from the home.
As CBS Chicago reports, mom Amanda has been charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, domestic battery resulting in death, and strangulation.