A Florida mom has landed herself behind bars after witnesses discovered her dragging the body of her dead daughter into the woods and over a hill. The mom claims that her daughter died when her truck hit a guard rail, but authorities think otherwise. Her truck crashed in West Virginia, and the woman was able to drag the dead girl 150 yards from the roadway before being apprehended on Sunday.
Erica Newsome, 37, has been arrested and placed on $50,000 bail for “concealing a body.”
Newsome told authorities her side of the story. She claims to have picked up her daughter out of bed and carried to her to the truck. Newsome says her plan was to drive all the way to Buffalo, New York, to see the girl’s father. Newsome claims that her daughter didn’t move, eat, speak, drink or use the restroom for two days. She remained still for the entire 700 miles. And Newsome claims her daughter died when her truck hit a guard post.
Police believe that Newsome’s daughter, the 11-year-old Kaye-lea Plummer, died before even entering the truck. Authorities believe that the little girl was killed at home. According to the Pocahontas Times, Newsome has already admitted to abusing and killing her daughter (but death by accident via guard rail).
State Police Sgt. Herby Barlow told the Pocahontas Times that it was “obvious” that Plummer didn’t die as a result of the accident.
The sheriff’s office said, “At this time, foul play is suspected in the child’s death and we believe the death occurred in Jacksonville, Florida.”
The victim’s father, Donath Plummer, said that Newsome texted him on Saturday night, telling him that she’d be driving up to Buffalo with their daughter. Neither Erica now Kaye-lea didn’t make it New York.
Plummer said he married Newsome in 2007, but the couple broke-up only two years later. In 2014, Newsome and Kaye-lea moved down to Jacksonville, and he hasn’t seen them since. However, he still regularly checked up on his daughter via phone calls.
The father told WJXT4, “We didn’t always agree on everything, but she was a great mother. I don’t know how this could have happened,’ Plummer said. ‘Something is very, very wrong. She needs help. She really needs help.”
What Happened?
At 11 A.M. Sunday morning, Erica Newsome lost control of her vehicle and struck a guard rail. She was seen dragging the deceased body of her daughter over a hill and into the forest. Police apprehended Newsome not far from the scene of the crash.
She claims that her child died as a result of the crash. Authorities believe that 11-year-old Kaye-lea Plummer died before ever entering her mother’s truck during a 700 mile road that ended in West Virginia.
Newsome says that her daughter did not move, eat, drink or use the restroom during the two-day trip. The 37-year-old said she planned on driving herself and her daughter from Jacksonville, Florida to Buffalo, New York.
As of this writing, Newsome has only been charged with attempting to conceal a body. Her bail has been set at $50,000. She has not been charged with murder. However, authorities believe that there was foul play in the death of her 11-year-old daughter.
