Brad Zinn|Staunton News Leader
Where is the body of Khaleesi Cuthriell?
The Stauntontoddler was initially reported missing in early September. Less than three weeks later, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office said the girl, 3, wasdead.
About a week before making the announcement,Pennsylvania authorities arrested two wanted suspectsin the case —Travis Brown, 29, and 41-year-old Candi Jo Royer—at a Knights Inn motel in South Greensburg, Pennsylvania, after the Waynesboro couple fled Virginia.
The Augusta County Sheriff's Office said the couple was caring for the toddler before she went missing earlier this year.
Since their capture, Augusta County investigators have made numerous trips to the Westmoreland County Prison— whereBrown and Royerare being held— to question the pair.
But finding the toddler's body has been elusive.
"They're not cooperating as much as I would like," Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith said of Brown and Royer.
In early September, Royer was initially reported as a missing person by the sheriff's office. Despite a rockyrelationship with Brown, who was accused of attacking Royer last summer, it was later learned she willingly left the area with him, according to Smith.
A little more than a month before their arrests, Brown was chargedin August with assault and battery after it was alleged he attacked Royer. Court records show Brown allegedlyhit Royer several times during an Aug. 5 argument. In herreport, Royer said herlip was bustedand she was choked.
Royersuccessfully sought a protective order and said she didn't want Brown around adaughter they share.
She made no mention of Khaleesi in the report.
'She was alive in January'
On Sept. 20, a day before the toddler's death was reported, numerous Virginia State Police search and recovery vehicles were at 249 Cattle Scales Road, where both Royer and Brown lived. Smith said they rented the home from one of Brown's relatives. An adjacent property was also searched by the recovery teams. Smith declined to say where the other searches have taken place.
"Just know that we're working on it, andbe patient," he said.
The sheriff said cadaver dogs have also been used in the search for the toddler's body.
The Augusta County Sheriff's Office reported earlier that Khaleesi's mother, Amanda G. Arey, 38, of Staunton, gaveRoyer her toddler to care for in October 2020, shortly before Arey was incarcerated at Middle River Regional Jail.
Smith said it's believed Khaleesi died earlier this year, because up to that point he saidArey had been communicating with Royer by phone and writing letters from jail.
"I can tell you, we last know she was alive in January, and the behavior of Ms. Royer and Mr. Brown completely changed toward the end of January and the first part of February," the sheriff said Wednesday."Everything just drops off in February."
In November, Royer posted on her Facebook page about a "new addition to our family" as pictures of Khaleesi were shown. Months later, there wasno talk of the Staunton toddler on her Facebook page.
Around that same time, the pair began telling family members that Child Protective Services had stepped in and taken Khaleesi from their care. The sheriff said that was untrue.
"That's the ruse that they used," Smith said.
Arey didn't report Khaleesi missing untillast month on Sept. 4 when she alerted jail officers about her daughter.Court records show Arey has had past struggles with drug addiction.
Pennsylvania charges, extradition looming
Royer and Brown are facing several charges each in Pennsylvania, including receiving stolen property, forgery and possession of a controlled substance, court records show. They are scheduled to enter pleas Nov. 24. Once their Pennsylvania cases are adjudicated, Smith expects them to be extradited to Virginia.
"They waived extradition, meaning they're not fighting it," hesaid. In Augusta County, both face charges offelony child abuse.
Brown is also facing 14criminal charges in the jurisdictions of Augusta County, Albemarle County, Charlottesville and Staunton, including charges ofcarjacking, strangulation, assault and battery of a family member, felony eluding, grand larceny, and breaking and entering.
Royer also has past convictions for robbery, drug possession, grand larceny, credit card fraud, worthless check and shoplifting, online records show.
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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporterat The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn(he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
