Police in Aberdeen arrested a 36-year-old man Thursday morning in connection with the death of his son, 4-year-old Aiden Bevin, whose body was found on May 15 and buried on the property where his father was living.
The father was booked facing a second-degree murder charge.
Troubling signs reportedly existed long before Aiden’s death.
His mother was released from prison a few months prior, raising concerns about her son and her 6-year-old daughter’s welfare.
Crystal Singletary, the mother-in-law of Aiden’s mother, said she visited the children last month and that Aiden’s mother took the 6-year-old daughter and left.
Singletary stated that Aiden’s mother then contacted police, reporting that she had her daughter, but her son was missing.
According to Singletary, the mother informed police that her son had been missing for about a year and a half.
“She reported to the police at that time in that conversation I can’t they won’t let me see my son he’s been like for a year and a half had been missing and the police confirmed we don’t have to return the daughter there’s no parenting plan and she they started looking into the disappearance of Aiden and I believe it was two to three days later that the coroner contacted her and let her know that they had his body,” Singletary said.
Singletary also stated that Aiden had been with living foster parents for a time and expressed that he should not have been returned to his father.
“These stories are happening all around the state,” said Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Dist. 19), whose district includes Aberdeen.
Walsh attributed the situation to a child welfare law known as the “Keeping Families Together Act.”
Walsh described the law’s intent and its practical effect.
“It’s meant to keep a child from a troubled home in the custody of extended family, rather than go straight into foster care… but in practice this law has had the reverse effect… it’s limited the ability of a child from a troubled home to be put in the care of good foster parents… it’s kept these children in homes with parents who are deeply troubled,” Walsh said.
Both Walsh and Singletary indicated that Child Protective Services received calls of concern regarding the children, but no action was taken.