Overview
- Higginsville police responded at 4:18 a.m. on Dec. 23 to the Classic Hotel, where officers found a 3-year-old unresponsive and deceased, according to court documents.
- Kyle Galloway, 30, and Deanna Kay Hankins, 36, are charged with abuse or neglect of a child, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and possession of a controlled substance, and both are held without bond.
- Investigators say a consensual search of the motel room uncovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
- Probable-cause statements report the child had black eyes and ligature marks on her wrists and feet, with alleged admissions that she was restrained and struck, including an alleged kick to the head.
- Authorities have not released the child’s name or the cause of death, though family and some outlets have identified her, and the investigation remains active.