A fatal car crash in Fayette County, Alabama, has spiraled into a complex and heartbreaking case involving the death of two family members, a missing child, and the arrest of the child’s grandfather.

The tragedy began on December 8, when a truck carrying Steven Collins, 27, his partner Wendy Bailey, and their two-year-old daughter RyLeigh veered off the road and crashed into a tree.

Investigators say Collins was driving at an extreme speed of 92mph on a wet road when he lost control, per WBRC. The vehicle spun out, colliding with the tree.

Collins and RyLeigh were killed in the crash. According to the incident report, neither Collins nor Bailey was wearing a seatbelt, and the toddler was not secured in a car seat.

Collins was ejected from the vehicle and later pronounced dead at the hospital. RyLeigh succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Bailey, who was partially ejected from the vehicle, survived but was airlifted to a hospital with critical injuries.

As investigators pieced together the details of the crash, they uncovered a troubling revelation: the couple had another child, one-year-old Kahleb Rowan Collins, who was not in the vehicle.

The family’s one-year-old son has now been reported missing. Credit: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

Authorities were only made aware of Kahleb’s absence the day after the crash, on December 9. An Emergency Missing Child Alert has since been issued for Kahleb, who authorities now say was last seen on September 4 — more than three months before the crash.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is now leading the search for the missing boy.

Adding another layer to the case, Kahleb’s grandfather, John Elton Bailey, was arrested on December 11 and charged with failing to report a missing child. Bailey had reportedly been living with the family before Kahleb’s disappearance. He remains in custody at the Fayette County Jail and is being held on a $100,000 bond.

John Bailey. Credit: Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

WKRG reports that court filings show John Bailey has been charged as having “failed to report a missing child by delaying to make or failing to cause to be made the report with willful and reckless disregard for the safety of the child and the child suffered serious bodily harm or death, to wit: physical injuries to the child and the child was removed from the home and taken to an unknown location and no report was made by any resident of the home.”

The child’s uncle, Dwayne Collins, told WBRC in an interview: “Please let me know where he’s at and if he’s okay, so we can find out what’s going on.”

“The whole family…we just don’t know. Just please let us know where he’s at and bring him back to the family,” the exasperated uncle said.

Neighbors have told investigators that Steven Collins claimed Kahleb had gone to live with relatives because of illness, per a local ABC News affiliate. Family members also said they were told Kahleb had significant health issues.

Kaleb is described as having blonde or strawberry hair and blue eyes.

A Facebook post shared by Collins on November 6 — nearly two months after Kahleb was last seen — raised further questions about the missing boy’s condition.

“Our son is not doing well. He is not growing and has major back issues,” Collins wrote. “His organs are growing but not his body. He has to have surgery at some point. Keep him in your prayers. Been rough and just seems going to be a long rough tough road ahead of us.”

Authorities are continuing their investigation into both the crash and Kahleb’s disappearance. The circumstances surrounding the family’s statements about the child and the grandfather’s failure to report him missing remain under scrutiny.

On Thursday (December 19), the State of Alabama District Attorney’s Office released the following statement:

“The District Attorney’s Office is assisting the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation with their ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of Kahleb Collins. This case has been the top priority of all agencies involved since a vehicle crash brought his disappearance to our attention 11 days ago.

“During that time, we have made a great deal of progress in the investigation and expect to release further information in the upcoming days. We are aware of the high public interest in this case and appreciate the community’s concern. In cases like this, we must carefully balance transparency with the need to protect the integrity of a very active and complex investigation. We ask the public to be cautious about unverified information circulating on social media.

“We will provide updates to the public as soon as we are able and when it is appropriate to do so.”

Anyone with information about Kahleb Rowan Collins’ whereabouts is urged to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office or the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.