Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article314036910.html#storylink=cpy
Galloway is the father of the child.
From:
CrimeDive WithJess
Three year-old child found dead in hotel room had been zip-tied due to her "behavioral issues.”On December 23rd, Officers in Higginsville, Missouri responded to the classic motel for a report of a child not breathing.
Novaleigh Galloway was in the care of her “father”, Kyle Galloway and his girlfriend, Deanne Hankins, at the time of her death.
This is pitiful. Read with caution.
Novaleigh’s condition at the time of her death indicated she had been possibly abused prior to her passing. She had black eyes and ligature marks around her wrist & feet. Her father allegedly told authorities that she was zip tied due to her behavioral issues. Kyle said he saw Deanne physically discipline Novaleigh by striking her in the head and mouth. He admitted to swatting her body and smacking her mouth.
Deanna told authorities that during the night while they were trying to sleep, she attempted multiple times to get Novaleigh to go to sleep, but she wouldn’t sleep & continued her “bad behavior”, so Kyle allegedly kicked her in the head. They told her to go to sleep and she got in her cot.
They said Novaleigh began making loud breathing sounds, but they thought she was playing or misbehaving
When Deanna later checked on her, she was unresponsive.
Kyle’s criminal history includes, endangering the welfare of a child, drug crimes, domestic assault, burglary, robbery, assault, shoplifting and tampering with motor vehicles.
He was previously on probation out of Missouri for endangering the welfare of a child and drug possession.
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Illicit Deeds is in Higginsville, MO. ·
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Galloway reportedly told investigators that Novaleigh had been zip-tied and partially restrained earlier that morning due to her “behavioral issues.” The description of the zip ties matches the ligature marks on Novaleigh’s wrists and feet.He added that Hankins had physically disciplined Novaleigh that day by hitting her on the head and mouth. Galloway described the discipline to investigators as “excessive” due to the noise and force used on Novaleigh, but court records say Galloway never intervened, nor did he render aid to the 3-year-old girl.
Galloway also admitted to investigators that he, too, had physically disciplined Novaleigh over the course of the day and night due to her behavior problems.
Allegedly, the discipline by Hankins and Galloway ranged from verbal to physical abuse, in which the child’s body, mouth and head would be hit or swatted, or she would be yelled at and called names.
When Hankins, the woman taken into custody, was questioned, she admitted that Novaleigh was bound at some point in the morning but said she never saw her in zip ties. She did say, however, that she saw the toddler with lacerations on her wrists and feet.
Hankins also told investigators she had swatted Novaleigh’s body and mouth and hit her in the back of the head at one point in the day after the child walked away and didn’t do something she was told.
Then, later that night, as Hankins and Galloway were trying to go to sleep, Hankins recounted trying to get Novaleigh to go to bed, but the toddler reportedly refused.
Hankins told investigators that this made Galloway upset, leading him to kick Novaleigh in the back of the head. After striking the child, he reportedly turned to Hankins and said, “Oh, that might have been a little hard.”
The two adults then put Novaleigh to bed without checking to see if she was hurt.
A short time later, Hankins said she heard loud breathing noises and got up to check on Novaleigh. When she approached the child’s cot, Novaleigh was reportedly unresponsive. Emergency responders were then called to the scene.
After a search of the motel, court records say methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia were found inside the room.
Hankins admitted to investigators that the drugs were hers and that she had recently relapsed. Galloway said he did not use narcotics but was aware that there were drugs inside the room at the time of Novaleigh’s death.
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