Cops Find Missing Baby Under Sitter's Bed

7-Month-Old Found Alive, Hidden in Box after 5 Days; Sitter, Husband and Her Mother Face Charges

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 7:30 a.m. Eastern.

Florida authorities have found a missing baby alive under her baby sitter's bed and say they're planning to charge the baby sitter, her husband and the child's mother.

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock said early Thursday that investigators found 7-month-old Shannon Dedrick in a box at Susan Elizabeth Baker's home near Chipley, a rural Panhandle town. The child had been missing for five days.

Haddock said deputies are working to charge Baker, James Arthur Baker and Chrystina Lynn Mercer. Haddock wouldn't provide details. He said more information would be released soon.

Her parents reported Shannon missing Saturday afternoon. Haddock said authorities don't believe the father was involved. He said Susan Baker and the father are related.

CBS News correspondent Michelle Gielan reports that, months before the kidnapping, Susan Baker wrote to Florida Governor Charlie Crist claiming that Shannon Dedrick's parents smoked cigarettes and drugs with the baby in the same room, even saying the baby was being abused.

Child services investigated the claims, but did not intervene, saying there was never any reason to remove the child.

In an added twist, Gielan reports that police say this not the first missing child case involving the Bakers. Their own 3-year-old son Paul went missing 22 years ago. That case is still unsolved.

[dbaz64]

I think that the best thing for this baby would be to never know what she went through. I hope that her life will have some sense of normalcy before she reaches an age where she will remember what is going on in her life. I pray for a better life to come for her!

[rondivoo]

one homely child!

[dbaz64]

Homely? The story is about her abduction and eventual rescue possibly from her sitter, possibly from her mother, and all you have to comment on is how you see the infant's appearance? She has beautiful features that she will grow into one day. She is only 7 months old. You couldn't find anyone smaller to pick on?

[gerryrigger]

I am certain they took the baby to the doctor to be examined after they found her. The strange shape of her head may be the result of a medical condition.

[curiously1]

Does anything surprise anyone anymore?! This is one sick planet we live in !!

[Sloughfoot]

Yes, and many you will find in the following posts.

[Spyderwasp]

My only question about this incident, now that the child has been safely found, thank God, is: How many sex offenders doors got knocked down in the process of investigating? When Somer Thompson was brutally murdered, they knocked on 191 doors and interogated people because of what they once was. My thoughts on this is, them today, us tomorrow. If we are willing to sacrifice the rights of the sex offender today, then we have set the precedent for our rights to be sacrificed tomorrow and no one will be able to say anything about it. The sex offender registry does not work, never has and the way it is set up, never will. The truly dangerous individuals hide in plain sight, mixed among the consensual sex, one time offenders, sexting, streaking, urinating in public, etc., and not enough assets to keep track of everyone. Sowell and Garriado were both on the registry. Its not the police's fault, but I do put partial blame on the lawmakers who enact legislation and parade it before us like it will stop crime in its tracks, but in fact they just needed a few more votes to find a comfortable chair and some young pages for the next four years. The Justice Policy Institute and the Vera Institute recently released a report that said, "registries do little to protect public safety and may even endanger youth." Yet each legislation session, we have to hear about more sex offender laws enacted, which only cost more money, thus cutting funds to a more needed program, and we get nothing in return, in the form of a drop in crime.

[endurorob_5]

You are seriously trying to defend sex offenders?

[rondivoo]

Seems you are always complaining about sex offender registries... hmmm. They may not totally solve the problem, but at least the information is out there, as it should be. By having this registry, law enforcement has a ready source when children disappear or are found violated. The answer would be to put them all in prison for life with no chance for parole.

[rondivoo]

Why do you always defend sex offenders? You say in your post, "if we are willing to sacrifice the rights of the sex offender," ... what "rights"?? By committing these crimes, the criminal loses his "rights." No punishment is harsh enough for these sicko society aliens. They are ALL dispicable and DESERVE to have their doors knocked down every time a child is missing.

[dbaz64]

While I may agree with you that the process of the Registered Sex Offenders may be flawed, it is unfortunately needed. Also unfortunately, many sex offenders cut a deal and get a diversion plea and avoid the whole sex offender label and forced registration. Now, while I understand your frustration to be less about sex offenders and more about people being stripped of their rights, even after having served their time, I have to say I feel better knowing the sex offender's are registered. If you had a child, and they went missing and you had a known child molester living next door, wouldn't you want the police to question them first? I don't think they should question the guy who was 19 with a 17 year old girlfriend, but I'd certainly want the guy who was recently released from serving a term in prison for having molested children. While you appear to think that they all change, I can promise you, they don't! Some might, but I'd imagine most don't. Something caused them to do what they did or do, and it festered for years. It isn't going to just go away over night or over a few years in prison. If they get questioned in every missing child case, they should see it as their duty to make themselves available so that they can be ruled out and the police can narrow down their search and eventually, hopefully find the child. Me personally, I think some sex offenders should be locked up for life, which would eliminate the need for their registration and the future follow up, and in some cases, might eliminate future missing children or adults for that matter.

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

She is gonna be one mean fiddle player....

[scoutsout80]

With a head like that I would have hid it too.

[goirish1974]

What a terrible comment to post.

[scoutsout80]

Facts are what they are, facts

[hockeymom441]

"Facts are what they are, facts"...
______
The most obvious being that you're an ignorant, mean-spirited fool.

This family is up to no good, and perhaps the sitter actually saved the baby.

[endurorob_5]

I agree. What a terrible comment. But then my first thought when I saw the photo was "This kid looks like the pictures people who claim to have been abducted by aliens draw".

[rondivoo]

My thoughts, exactly... it may be cruel, but it's true! Poor little girl.

[barbaram99]

No one in their right mind would put a baby/child under the bed. A family mess. This awful. The article saids a child went missing 22 years ago..What happened there. Child abuse. Some should not have children.I feel for little girl. I don't understand that mind set. What they take a child not theirs. I am appalled. I am in my 50s.

[goirish1974]

They are talking about the baby's mother not the babysitter's mother.

[Sloughfoot]

Bakers's child went missing 22 years ago-Missing, then sold-bet you.

[pjboyd3088]

This just makes me sick. How could you treat a sweet baby like this?

[rondivoo]

a lot of babies aren't sweet

[tbird6740]

The MOTHER is also being charged? Meaning this whole thing was STAGED? What a sick bunch of people!

[bciss]

I think they are talking about the mother of the sitter. Not the child's mother.

[braniff77]

It's hard to determine who this Chrystina Lynn Mercer is who is being charged, but the article does say they are charging the baby's mother. They should make it more clear if that's the baby's mother. If it is, I wonder if her plan was to get away from the father.

[displeased]

No, they specifically say the child's mother.

[bciss]

Ok, withdraw my comment as this article was somewhat unclear. Obviously Mommy dearest was involved. Which is clear by the latest updates.

[proudmilvet]

Poor little Sweetie!