The Memphis Police Department reported that a mother, whose 4-year-old daughter was declared missing on Thursday, has confessed that the child had been deceased for several weeks due to an assault by her boyfriend, Your Content can tragically report. The couple allegedly stored the girl’s body in trash bags inside their residence.
This information was disclosed in a police statement issued at 8:14 a.m. on Friday, following an extensive search for the child, Sequoia Samuels, in a North Memphis neighborhood. This search was initiated after family members reported her missing, according to CrimeSpace.
During the search operation, human remains were discovered in close proximity to the area. The Memphis Police, in collaboration with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), called off the search on Friday. The TBI indicated that they believe the child is no longer alive.
Sequoia’s mother, Brittany Jackson, has been charged with Aggravated Child Abuse-Neglect, Abuse of a Corpse, and Filing a False Offense Report. Her boyfriend, Jaylon Hobson, has been charged with Filing a False Offense Report, according to CrimeSpace.
The Department of Children’s Services, which had previous interactions with the family, confirmed it has commenced an investigation.
The search for Sequoia Samuels began after she was reported missing from her home on Caldwell Avenue in North Memphis. She was last reportedly seen on security camera footage leaving her house the night before the report was made, according to CrimeSpace.
Jackson informed the police that on the night of the incident, she was at her residence at 247 Caldwell Avenue with Hobson, her daughter Sequoia, her 5-year-old son, and two other children aged 6 and 4 who are related to Hobson. She claimed to have last seen Sequoia at approximately 11:45 p.m., after which she fell asleep.
Upon waking up and powering on her phone, which had been out of battery, she noticed text messages from a relative that stated the front door was open. It was at this point she realized her daughter was missing and contacted the police, according to CrimeSpace.
Jackson’s account changed during a subsequent interview with the Homicide Bureau. She admitted to providing a false statement and divulged that Hobson had allegedly assaulted Sequoia several times in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. According to Jackson, following the final assault, Sequoia was left unconscious, and neither she nor Hobson attempted to revive her. Hobson allegedly placed the child’s body in garbage bags and kept them in the house. The bags were later disposed of in a trash container outside the apartment.
A search warrant was executed at 249 Caldwell Avenue, where authorities, in conjunction with the medical examiner, collected the deceased child’s remains, which are believed to be Sequoia’s based on clothing matching the description provided by the mother.
Hobson has denied any involvement in the death of the child, according to police.
Court records from Shelby County indicate that Hobson is also facing charges from a separate case dating back to May. According to the case documents, Hobson and Jackson were arrested on May 6 at an apartment complex on Mimosa Avenue, where Hobson was allegedly found in possession of firearms and a substance that tested positive for THC. His charges in this case include criminal trespass, possession of marijuana, and possession of prohibited weapons. The case is still ongoing.