One-year-old baby found dead after mother reported abduction, SC sheriff says
.jpg "Harlee Lane Lewis")
The body of the 1-year-old baby has been found two hours after reports it was violently abducted from its mother, according the sheriff's office.
The baby was found dead in a diaper box in a field near the home, Chesterfield County Sheriff Jay Brooks said just after 4 p.m., according to wistv.com.
The baby's cause of death has not been determined, or shared publicly.
Brooks said that he now thinks there was not a kidnapping at all and a suspect is being questioned, according to The Associated Press.
An Amber Alert was issued for Harlee Lane Lewis shortly before the baby was discovered.
Brooks has since canceled the alert, saying "because we don't think there was a kidnapping."
The baby's mother originally said she was checking her mailbox on Jackson Road East at about 2 p.m. Tuesday when a tan and gold SUV stopped in the middle of the road, WCCB reported.
A thin white male, described as about 6-foot-2 with a beard, got out of the van and punched the woman in the head several times, WBTV reported. He then stole the baby, according to the original reports.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and SLED are investigating the case.
This story was originally published May 29, 2018 at 3:57 PM with the headline "One-year-old baby found dead after mother reported abduction, SC sheriff says."