Remains of 3-year-old boy found encased in concrete in Kansas rental home



WICHITA, Kansas — Police are investigating after the body of a small child was discovered encased in concrete inside a rental home in Wichita, Kansas.

The landlord was cleaning the house Saturday when he found a concrete structure and noticed an odor coming from it, the Wichita Eagle reported. Police removed the structure and discovered the remains of a three-year-old boy inside.

Police have not named the child.

"We have a tentative identification on the child, but confirmation of the child's identity is being coordinated through the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner," officer Charley Davidson wrote in a news release on Sunday.

Neighbor Toni Freund told the Eagle that she saw police pull something concrete from the home. She and other neighbors said they had never seen a young child at the home.

"It's definitely a tragedy," she said.

An Associated Press reporter on Monday left phone and email messages Wichita police for information about the structure.

Police say a 40-year-old man and 36-year-old woman who lived at the home were arrested last week on separate charges associated with a child custody case. Both are being held in the Sedgwick County Jail. Police have not said if that man and woman are suspected in the death of the child.

A flyer recently passed out in the area around the home identifies a missing three-year-old child. The flyers were shared on social media with people pleading for the child's safe return.