LAFAYETTE, IN – The community of Lafayette, Indiana, was shaken to its core when 3-month-old Jacob Moneus was found dead on Sunday following an extensive search operation by the Lafayette Police Department. The baby boy was reported missing on August 10, triggering the issue of a Silver Alert.
Early investigations reveal that prior to the baby’s disappearance, there was a domestic dispute between the mother of Jacob and her husband in their apartment. Reports indicate that the man, who has been described as a “father figure” to Jacob, violently assaulted his wife with a metallic object, inflicting severe head injuries. The injured woman was taken to IU Hospital in Lafayette, but her baby was inexplicably missing at the time.
Authorities returned to the couple’s apartment in search of baby Jacob but were unable to locate him. Assisted by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police, they tracked down and arrested the husband based on charges related to his assault on his wife. No charges regarding Jacob’s disappearance were made.
It was on their second search of the apartment when the tragedy unfolded. Jacob’s body was discovered concealed in a location “where a normal person wouldn’t think to look.” Due to be carried out on Monday, his autopsy was declared a homicide in advance by the coroner.
The Lafayette Police Department sent their condolences to baby Jacob’s family and vowed to deliver justice by investigating the tragedy thoroughly and uncovering the events leading up to the infant’s death.
As this case unfolds, the husband’s charges presently cover his assault on his wife, with no charges yet laid concerning Jacob’s death.