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COLUMBIA - Court documents obtained Wednesday reveal what Lavosha Daniels wrote in her letter to the Columbia Police Department, describing her daughter Samone's alleged murder.
Samone's remains were found inside a backpack, inside a tire near McKnight Tire on Aug, 15, 2019. Police believe she was 4 to 5 months old at the time of her death. CPD Chief Geoff Jones said the homicide allegedly took place at hotel in Columbia, and that her remains had been inside the tire since 2017.
Prosecutors charged Samone's parents Tuesday for their alleged involvement in her death.
Daniels, 28, is charged with abandonment of a corpse and first-degree endangerment of a child. She was arrested by US Marshals in St. Louis this week and extradited to Boone County.
Staffone Fountain, 30, is charged with first-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. He was arrested by the St. Joseph Police Department and is in their custody without bond.
Court documents say Daniels identified herself in a letter written to CPD. The letter was found at the Super 8 motel on Freedom Drive this June.
The documents said Daniels wrote that she came home from work, fed her daughter and then went to bed.
She allegedly wrote in her letter that when she woke up, "she found her daughter in an unusual position with a towel wrapped around her neck and blood coming from her mouth." According to the document, Daniels said Fountain had been with the baby while Daniels was sleeping.
The statement said both Fountain and Daniels performed CPR on Samone. Daniels then fled from the scene because "she was scared and didn't know what to do" and that "Steffone put the baby's body in a book bag which was then placed at McKnight Tire," according to the court documents.
The documents said Daniels has had multiple children with Fountain, including Samone. CPD confirmed that their whereabouts are known, and they are safe.
Chief Geoff Jones said Tuesday the department cannot say yet how Samone died, and more information on her death will be released at the later time.
Daniels had an arraignment Wednesday afternoon at the Boone County Courthouse. The judge said Daniels does not have a bond, but she did order a bond investigation.
KOMU 8 will continue to update on-air and online with more information from this investigation.