Denver, CO-Boy, 7, found dead in Denver storage unit was malnourished; cocaine and meth found in system

Denver, CO—A child who was found dead and encased in concrete in a Denver storage unit in December was malnourished, an had cocaine metabolite and methamphetamine in his system. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death was homicide.

A forensic pathologist found that seven year old Caden McWilliams was malnourished at the time of his dead. He had multiple injuries to his head, torso, and extremities according to the autopsy.

Cocaine metabolite and methamphetamine were detected in his liver tissue. McWilliams was brought to the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner in a plastic bags that was bound with duct tape and encased in concrete inside an animal crate. Due to the nature of his injuries and the suspicious nature of this death, the forensic pathology said the manner of death is a homicide. It is unclear what the cause of death was.

On January 2, McWilliams’ mother, Elisha A. Parked, 43, turned herself into police. She was formally charged on January 7 with child abuse resulting in death and are of a corpse. Timeline of events May – Dec. 2018 — Police believe 7-year-old Caden McWilliams was killed during this time. 21, 2018 — An Aurora officer discovers heroin inside a hotel room belonging to Pankey. 22, 2018 — Pankey is arrested at an Aurora hotel for felony drug possession amid a missing child investigation. She is booked into the Arapahoe County Jail. 23, 2018 — The body of Caden, Pankey’s missing 7-year-old son, is discovered inside of a Denver storage unit. 24, 2018 — Pankey is released from Arapahoe County Jail after posting a $1,000 personal recognizance bond in the drug possession case. 28, 2018 — Pankey is formally charged with a felony drug possession count and a drug paraphernalia possession count. 2, 2019 — Pankey turns herself into the Denver Police Department on a charge of child abuse resulting in death. 3, 2019 — The suspect makes her first court appearance in connection with the child abuse resulting in death case. 7, 2019 — Pankey is formally charged with child abuse resulting in death and abuse of a corpse. Denver police say the 7-year-old boy was found encased in concrete in the storage unit.