Missing 4-Year-Old Girl Was Suffocated By Teen Brother: Deputies

A missing 4-year-old girl was found dead this week and deputies believe that her half-brother caused her death by suffocating her.

In a recent Facebook post, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina said that the child, identified as Joanna Lockaby, was found dead on Tuesday. According to the sheriff's office, Lockaby's body was found in a "wooded area" near 112 Chevy Chase Blvd.

"Yesterday evening investigators arrested 17-year-old William Micah Hester. Investigators believe Hester suffocated the victim, contributing to her death," the Greenville County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. "Deputies located the victim's body in a plastic bin behind the home the victim lived in along with Hester, her half-brother."

The arrest of Hester comes shortly after the sheriff's office first reported that Lockaby was missing.

According to the Facebook post, sheriff's deputies were called to a residence at 112 Chevy Chase Blvd. for reports of a missing person.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office said that deputies arrived at about 2:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday, and at about 2:45 p.m., Lockaby's body was located.

"The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene," the sheriff's office said.

Shortly after deputies said that Hester suffocated Lockaby, he was arrested and transported to the Greenville County Detention Center. Hester is in custody awaiting a bond hearing, according to the sheriff's office, which did not reveal any motive or the type of charges Hester could face.

Newsweek reached out to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office for further comment.

Earlier this week in Florida, a 16-year-old girl was arrested after her 3-year-old sister was found dead in their hotel room, according to ClickOrlando.

"The investigation is ongoing. However, the preliminary investigation revealed that the sibling, Charlise Bell, DOB 04/07/2006, had placed a pillow over her sister to quiet her down. When she returned to the room, her sister was unresponsive," the Altamonte Springs Police Department said in a Facebook post. "Detectives responded to the scene and after interviews, found probable cause to arrest the sibling, Charlise Bell."

According to the Altamonte Springs Police Department, Bell was charged with manslaughter.

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "In 2020, there were about 1,389 deaths due to SIDS [sudden infant death syndrome], about 1,062 deaths due to unknown causes, and about 905 deaths due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed."