HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - The stepfather of a missing teenage girl has been charged with murder and child abuse after the body of the teen was found concealed within her Hagerstown house.
The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown reports (https://bit.ly/1HjVWNs ) 35-year-old Ernie Chase was charged with first- and second-degree murder, in addition to child abuse charges, after the body of 17-year-old Melissa Collins was found Wednesday inside her home.
In a statement, the Hagerstown Police Department says officers responded to the home to investigate after they were flagged down by a citizen to make a welfare check for Collins.
Police say detectives became suspicious of the information being provided and obtained a search warrant for the residence, where they located Collins’ body.
Police had posted a missing person alert for Collins on Wednesday evening.
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Information from: The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., https://www.herald-mail.com
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