A 30-year-old father from Kansas has pleaded guilty to killing his 3-year-old daughter, whose body was discovered in a wooded area.
Howard Jansen III pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, one count of abuse of a child, three counts of aggravated endangerment of a child, and one count of interference with law enforcement.
According to reports, Olivia Jansen’s body was found in a wooded area only hours after her father had reported her missing.
An autopsy revealed that the girl had signs of physical abuse and had tragically died of a brain bleed.
Jansen’s partner, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a law enforcement investigation. She is now serving a 31-year prison sentence.
Other children in their home told police that Kirkpatrick pushed the little girl’s head against a hard wall numerous times, said prosecutors.
Olivia was also kept locked in a dog kennel and was forced to stand in a corner for long periods of time.
Hours after Jansen reported his daughter missing, Olivia’s body was found near a walking trail in a wooded area in Kansas.
Police said that the father’s report triggered an Amber Alert and an intense search by law enforcement agencies using K9 units and drones.
Investigators said the father gave police different stories that did not make any sense.
The victim’s grandparents said they were worried about Olivia months before she disappeared after they were denied seeing their granddaughter. They eventually contacted Kansas Department for Children and Families and Kansas City police.
An assigned officer from DCF made a failed attempt on the 3-year-old.
Jansen is scheduled to be sentenced next month in Wyandotte County Court.
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