Mother, aunt charged in infant’s disappearance

At a news conference Thursday morning, Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock announced charges have been filed against the mother and aunt of 7-month-old Shannon Lea Dedrick.
The announcement came five days after Shannon was reported missing and just hours after she was found alive. Sheriff Haddock said the investigation was like “pulling hen’s teeth.”  The case was solved through grunt work by all law enforcement involved.
Haddock had tears in his eyes at an early Thursday morning news conference where he presented baby Shannon alive. He again fought back the tears later Thursday morning in a second news conference as he discussed the two- by three-foot cedar box Shannon was found in.
Shannon’s mother and aunt were taken into custody Wednesday night after Shannon was reportedly found in a box under the bed of Susan Baker, her aunt and babysitter. A search was conducted at Baker’s home around 8 p.m.  Shannon was found just before 10 p.m.
Authorities believe she had been closed up inside the box for 12 hours.  She did not have a bottle in the box. The only things inside the shut box with Shannon was baking powder, to cover the smell of a dirty diaper, and a blanket that was wrapped around her.  Investigators said Baker was using the box to hide Shannon when authorities were coming to the home. 
Haddock said Shannon was fed and in good condition, but was rushed to Northwest Florida Community Hospital to be checked out. That’s when he said several of his officers began calling their wives and crying. 
The Department of Children and Families will determine who gets custody of Shannon.  Several family members said they would be happy to care for her.
Investigators say Shannon’s mother, Chrystina Mercer, arranged to give Shannon to Baker on Friday. They believe the exchange took place at the mailbox at the end of Mercer’s drive on Brown Street in Chipley around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.  Arraignments for Mercer and Baker will be held Thursday afternoon at the Washington County Courthouse. 
Mercer faces felony charges of interference with child custody and desertion of a child, along with misdemeanor charges of filing a false report regarding a missing child, filing a false report of a crime, and contributing to delinquency of a child.
Baker faces felony charges of neglect of a child with aggravated circumstances and interference with child custody, 3rd degree felony, as well as misdemeanor charges of filing a false report regarding a missing child, filing a false report of a crime, and contributing to delinquency of a child.
Hours after the reported exchange at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Shannon was reported missing by her mother.  Since that time, rescue crews from across the Panhandle and nation searched desperately for the infant. Haddock said around 3,770 rescue man hours were logged.  Law enforcement and search and rescue crews from from Washington, Liberty, Gulf and Bay counties assisted.  The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Corrections and FBI also gave aid in the case. 
Haddock said Mercer and Baker were persons of interest in the case from the beginning because they were two of the three people to last see the child since Friday. Shannon’s father and Baker’s step-brother, Rusty Dedrick, was also one of the last to see Shannon, but authorities say he was not involved in the arrangement between Mercer and Baker.  Haddock also said Baker ridiculed their investigation, never knowing she was on their radar.
Susan Baker’s husband, James, was taken into custody Wednesday night, but he was released around 3 a.m. Thursday morning.  He is not facing any charges at this time.  Haddock says his office is still working with the State Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges will be filed.  He did say James Baker might was not involved in the agreement between Mercer and Susan Baker.
This is not the first time that the Bakers have been involved in a missing child case.  Their 3-year-old son Paul was reported missing back in 1987 from Beaufort County, S.C. The Bakers were extradited from Washington County to face a grand jury in connection with the crime in 2000, but they were not indicted. 
Haddock said his office became aware of this information Saturday, while conducting their initial investigation background checks.