Police are looking into the death of a young boy who authorities believe was killed by his father after the child told his mother that his dad was going to kill him.
The Indianapolis father of 10-year-old Nakota Kelly has been arrested over the alleged murder of his son. The child was killed just days after the boy predicted that he wouldn’t survive the weekend with his father, #AnthonyDibiah. The father, 37, texted the boy’s mother, saying Nakota was “in heaven” after allegedly murdering him.
Days before Nakota’s mother dropped him off; she says her son told her that he wouldn’t return to her alive, according to an affidavit obtained by the Indianapolis Star. “Oh, I’m dead,” the boy allegedly told his mother after finding out that he would be with his father for the weekend. “Don’t expect me to come home — my dad is going to kill me.” Nakota felt he was in grave danger because he’d hung up on Dibiah during a phone call, the mother explained.
Nakota’s mother received a text message around 2 p.m. on Sunday from Dibiah that read, “Sometimes I hear voices. My son is in Heaven,” according to the affidavit. Nakota’s remains have not been recovered, but police say they are sure a murder happened. PEOPLE reports that Dibiah allegedly revealed that he killed his son to family and friends over the phone. He reportedly told two people that he suffocated his son using a plastic bag. The Star reports that he allegedly told a friend that he took Nakota’s lifeless body into the bathroom “to make sure he was dead” before dropping it off at an unknown location.
Police performed a wellness check on Nakota on Sunday morning per a request after Dibiah’s alarming calls to family and friends. The police claim Dibiah said, “I just killed my son!” Authorities say Dibiah was crying on one of the two calls. Investigators arrived at Dibiah’s home at around 11:45 a.m., according to an affidavit. When they went into the home, they found what looked like “blood spatter, blood smears, and brain matter” in the apartment’s bedroom. Blood could also be seen at the apartment’s entrance, PEOPLE reports. Dibiah was arrested on Tuesday and was later charged with one count of murder. He is currently being held without bond.
Nakota’s body has not been found; police say the search may extend into Missouri after finding Dibiah’s pre-drawn trips to the state. Indiana’s Department of Child Services had an open case file on the family, the outlet reports. Nakota’s mother told child services about her son’s statements on July 14.
