Syracuse authorities have charged Ryan Lawrence with second-degree murder in connection to Baby Maddox's death. Apart from incriminating evidence, Lawrence also revealed how he killed his 21-month old daughter.
According to Syracuse.com, the 24-year old suspect recently admitted to policemen that he burned the toddler's body before hiding her remains at Onondaga Creek. Eye-witness accounts backed Lawrence's shocking revelation.
An Amber Alert was issued over the weekend after Ryan failed to pick up his wife Morgan from work last Saturday night. Thinking his husband forgot the memo, the latter decided to go home alone only to be greeted with an empty house and an unmanned car, as per CNY Central.
A concerned citizen phoned 911 on Monday saying a man matching Ryan's description has been spotted at Baldwinsville. Police in the area quickly responded and took the man into custody.
Authorities later confirmed that he was, in fact, Ryan Lawrence. It was during the interrogation that the suspect admitted to his crimes. He also revealed the location of his daughter's body.
The search took several hours around the chilly waters of Syracuse. Police Chief Frank Fowler said his department has already recovered what is believed to be the remains of Baby Maddox. However, they can't be too sure as authorities are still waiting DNA test results.
"This is a tough investigation for all involved," Fowler said. "It's a special situation when talking about children. You're supposed to protect children."
Rick Henderson, a neighbor of the Lawrences', expressed his sorrow after hearing about the sad news. He condemned the violent act but refrained from speaking ill of Mr. Lawrence.
"It's very surprising," he lamented. "However, you can never judge or walk a mile in a man's shoes. So I don't know what he was going through at the time. It's surprising and it's sad."
As to why Ryan Lawrence killed Baby Maddox, the suspect was allegedly jealous that her daughter was more eager to spend time with her mom.
