Authorities in Oklahoma are racing against time to locate a young girl who vanished after a couple reportedly physically abused her and handed her over to a known drug dealer.
On August 5, police arrested 39-year-old Ashley Ceejay Rowland and her partner, 40-year-old Joshua Denton, in connection with the disappearance of London Kerr. The pair are accused of severe mistreatment of London before her disappearance.
The couple’s two other teenage children gave witness statements that described cruel punishments that included shooting the toddler with a BB gun, beating her with a wooden paddle, pouring hot sauce in her eyes, forcing her to eat peppers multiple times, and confining her in a closet. The harsh treatment was also experienced by one of the teens, who claimed that Denton sexually abused her.
After all the abuse the toddler suffered, she was sold to a drug dealer. Investigators say London disappeared in 2022, but her absence only came to light in April 2023, when state officials attempted a welfare check and discovered she was nowhere to be found. This September would mark her sixth birthday.
Rowland reportedly admitted to police that she had given London to her methamphetamine supplier, a man identified only as “Carlos,” without any official documentation or identification. Rowland told investigators that Carlos mentioned plans to take the girl to Mexico.
Police have confirmed the discovery of physical evidence, the paddle, in the home, consistent with witness accounts. The paddle was labelled ‘The Last Resort’, according to reports.
Police say their main focus remains on finding the missing child. “Every moment matters,” said Oklahoma City police Sgt Dillon Quirk. “We need to know where she is, and we’re asking for the public’s help.”
Law enforcement has since charged both Rowland and Denton. Denton is facing nine felony counts, including six for child abuse, while Rowland has been charged with enabling child abuse, alongside earlier child abandonment charges from 2023.