Graphic Details: Court records reveal 'torture' missing Fayette Co. toddler endured, and mother's 'extreme indifference' to his life

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WINFIELD, Ala. (WBRC) - The mother of a missing one-year-old boy told 
Fayette County investigators her fiancé, Steven Collins, told her he was 
going to kill their son, Kahleb, and sent her pictures of his bruised and 
bloodied body, according to court documents.

Wendy Pamela Bailey is charged with domestic violence, corpse abuse, 
criminally negligent homicide, and aggravated child abuse.

Kahleb Collins’ disappearance wasn’t discovered until after his family was 
involved in a deadly crash on December 8.

His father, Steven Collins, was driving at least 92 miles-per-hour when he 
went off the road and crashed into a tree, according to a state crash 
report. Bailey was critically hurt and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, 
Ryleigh, who was not in a car seat, was killed. Collins also died from 
injuries sustained in the crash.

Sources tell WBRC 6 News an out-of-state family member questioned where 
Kahleb was after the crash, leading authorities to begin their search.

Bailey’s father, John Elton Bailey, who lived with his daughter’s family, 
was arrested and charged on December 11 with failure to report a missing 
child.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office confirmed its investigation into 
Kahleb’s disappearance on December 16, and The Alabama Law Enforcement 
Agency issued an Emergency Missing Child Alert for the baby on December 
17.

Ms. Bailey was released from UAB Hospital on December 30 and immediately 
transported to the Fayette County Jail and charged in connection with the 
deaths of both of her children.

She is accused of causing her daughter’s death, failing to report abuse of 
her son, and showing “extreme indifference” to the value of her son’s 
life.

Disclaimer: This portion of our report contains graphic details.

“Wendy Pamela Jean Bailey acknowledged the fact of knowing and failing to 
intervene on more that [sic] two occasions that Khaleb Rowan Collins was 
physically abused by tortuous means such as being bound with rope, 
physically assaulted, and being bound by a rope from a loft.”

Collins sent pictures to Ms. Bailey of their son hanging from a rope with 
blood on his body, and a photo of him lying on the floor with extreme 
bruising, followed by the messages, “He want [sic] move,” and “Im [sic] so 
sorry,” according to court records.

Collins then sent a message stating, “He moving” to which Ms. Bailey 
responded, “He just looks wore out and tried and hurt hopefully that’s 
all,” according to court records.

Ms. Bailey also told investigators Collins sent her a text message saying 
he was going to kill their son.

Her domestic violence and child abuse charges stem from incidents in July 
2024, and the corpse abuse allegedly happened on September 29, weeks after 
Kahleb’s last confirmed sighting on September 4, according to ALEA.

According to a court record, Ms. Bailey told investigators “…upon the 
death of Kahleb Rowan Collins his body was placed into a bag and stored in 
an outside storage building for a brief period prior to final disposal at 
an unknown location.”

Fayette County investigators have not found Kahleb’s remains.

Ms. Bailey is charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of 
her daughter, Ryleigh, because, according to court records, her failure to 
ensure the toddler was properly restrained caused her death.

Investigators said more charges are possible.

https://www.wbrc.com/2024/12/31/court-records-reveal-torture-missing-
fayette-co-toddler-endured-mothers-extreme-indifference-his-life/