Indiana Man Arrested in Connection with 3-Month-Old Infant Son Found Stuffed in Sealed Bucket

A 3-month-old boy in Indiana was found dead and police say he was discovered in a sealed bucket in the family’s apartment.

Around 12 p.m. on Aug. 10, Jacob Moneus was reported missing after his mother went to the hospital with a skull fracture and cuts. She claimed her husband, Eliasard Moneus, attacked her with a tire iron or wrench, according to court documents obtained by WGN.

The mother told investigators that her husband took their son before the alleged attack but she did not know where.

Court records show police went to the woman’s residence and searched the Lafayette apartment. Officers discovered blood splatter and “other evidence” that an altercation may have occurred, but they did not locate the baby, according to the documents.

Around 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 10, police issued a Silver Alert for the missing infant.

On the morning of Aug. 11, police were able to locate Eliasard Moneus in Indianapolis. Around that same time, officers conducted another search at the Lafayette residence and found the infant’s body and “dark-colored liquid” in an orange bucket of laundry detergent with a snap-seal lid, authorities said.

Court records allege the bucket was located next to a trash can in the apartment.

Lafayette Police Sgt. Shawn Verma told the Journal & Courier, “When the officers were initially inside the apartment checking out the scene, baby was nowhere to be found. He was concealed in an area [of the apartment] that an officer would never think to look.”

Eliasard Moneus was detained. During an interview with police, he allegedly admitted to hitting his wife “two or three times” with a tool from his car and that he hoped she died from her injuries, officials said.

When police asked him about his son, he told them he was okay, court reports show.

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An autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Jacob Moneus, but the preliminary cause of death was asphyxia. The coroner’s office has preliminary ruled the child’s death a homicide, authorities said.

Moneus was arrested and charged with domestic battery resulting in serious injury, domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, domestic battery committed with a child less than 16 years old present, and attempted murder in relation to beating his wife, officials said.

He has yet to be charged in connection with his son’s death.