missing-children amw case file

AMW Case File

Shannon Lea Dedrick

Shannon Dedrick missing children,Shannon Dedrick

Latest Airing:

  • Web Exclusive

Shannon Dedrick missing Missing Fla. Baby Found Alive Under Bed

After five days of searching, police in Fla. found 7-month-old Shannon Dedrick alive and well; the child's babysitter hid the child under her bed. Shannon disappeared from her Chipley, Fla. home in the early morning hours of Oct. 31, 2009.

Sex:
Female
Race:
White
Current Age:
4
Height:
2'0"
Weight:
11 lbs.
Scars and Tattoos:
  • No known scars.
  • No known tattoos.
Location information:
  • Shannon was last seen at her home on Brown St. in Chipley, Fla.
Last Seen:
  • Chipley , FL
  • Shannon was last seen at her home on Brown St. in Chipley, Fla.
Last Known Locations:
  • Chipley , FL
Shannon lives at 793C Brown Street in Chipley, Fla.
Last updated November 5, 2009

Shannon Lea Dedrick

Recovered; Nov 04, 2009

Missing Baby Found Under Babysitter's Bed


Florida authorities found missing 7-month-old baby Shannon Dedrick alive and well on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 4, 2009.

Cops say the child was under her babysitter, Susan Elizabeth Baker's bed, in a 2 ft. by 3 ft. cedar box with a lid for about 12 hours. There was no bottle for Shannon in the box and it contained a blanket and bacon powder to cover the scent of her dirty diaper. The box was surrounded by a few other items to conceal the box.

Baker is Shannon's father's half-step sister and Shannon's aunt.

He said police received permission to search the Bakers' home and executed a search warrant at 8:30 p.m. Shannon was found at approximately 9:55 p.m.

The child was rushed to the N.W. Florida Community Hospital, but appeared to be healthy.

Sheriff Bobby Haddock said he and several other officers called their wives from the hospital with the good news. "There was a lot of grown men crying," he said.

Cops say Baker asked the child's mother, Christina Lynn Mercer, on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 if she could have custody of Shannon. Mercer agreed.

According to police, Baker met Mercer around 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2009 and Mercer gave Shannon to Baker. Charges will be filed against both Baker and Mercer for interfering in child custody, filing a fase report about a missing child and a crime and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Cops say Baker will also be charged with neglect of child with aggravated circumstances and Mercer will be charges with desertion of a child.

In an early morning press conference, Sheriff Haddock carried Shannon out to the microphone with him with tears in his eyes.

"We are the proud Papas of the little girl. This is Shannon Lea Dedrick," he said. "We found her safe."

He carried her to see her grandmother who said, "I love you more than life itself." Sheriff Haddock said, statistically, the child should be dead.

He expressed relief and thanked all of the people involved in the search for the baby.

Police said they were investigating Baker as a person of interest from Day 1. She was convicted of assault and battery and assault with intent to kill in South Carolina in 1987.

She was also charged in the disappearance of 3-year-old Paul Leonard Baker, but was never indicted and the child was never found.

Shannon is in DCF custody.




Shannon Lea Dedrick


Photos

Shannon disappeared from her home in Chipley, Fla. in the middle of the night.

Latest Updates

Maryland Boy Allegedly Abducted By Father photo
Authorities in Fort Washington, Md., are searching for seven-year-old Anthony Calzada, who was allegedly abducted by his father, Freddy. A federal warrant for International Parental Kidnapping was issued for Freddy on July 1, 2010, and authorities need your help in bringing Anthony home safely.
Teens Missing For Nearly A Decade Recovered Safely photo
Cleveland authorities have safely recovered Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus in the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. Amanda was first featured on America's Most...

AMW Quick Search

Americas Most Wanted

AMW is easy! Simply type the first name, last name or "moniker" of the person or case you are looking for and the search box will retrieve a list of all the cases in our system. Wait for the drop down box to appear with a list of possible matches and select the name of the case that you were looking for and click GO. You must type in a minimum of 4 letters.