A Memphis mother has been arrested after deputies discovered her daughter’s mummified body inside a hotel room, authorities say.
Kimberly Moore
, 46, was taken into custody on
July 11
and charged with
abuse of a corpse
and
failure to report a death
, according to a criminal affidavit obtained by
PEOPLE
.
Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office responded to the
Home Inn Suites
in Memphis after the hotel manager reported that Moore had made unusual claims, including that her husband owned the hotel and she was there to “make sure employees were doing their job.”
When deputies arrived, Moore allegedly repeated those statements and appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis. Officers noticed a strong odor coming from her room. When they entered, they discovered the body of
Chloe Moore
, her daughter, lying in the bed —
unresponsive, cold to the touch, malnourished, and showing signs of mummification
.
The medical examiner later determined that the child’s body had been in that condition for “quite some time,” showing signs of dehydration and decay. Flies were also found surrounding the remains.
During questioning, Moore reportedly refused to cooperate and declined to give a formal statement. Instead, she allegedly told investigators that
her daughter was still with her and that “God is with her and her daughter.”
Authorities concluded Moore may have been hallucinating and in a state of mental crisis.
She is currently being held in jail, and a
bail review hearing
is scheduled for
July 15
.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) or visit
www.childhelp.org
. The hotline is confidential, toll-free, and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.