Halo Branton: Missing 11-month-old baby who triggered Amber Alert found dead hours later, police investigate death as ‘criminal case’
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SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK: Schenectady police reported that 11-month-old girl, Halo R Branton, was found dead more than 12 hours after she was went missing.
The victim was last seen on 12th Street at Campbell Avenue in Schenectady around 9.15 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
She was described as wearing white sweatpants with brown and fan flowers, a long sleeve light pink shirt with a butterfly design, and carrying a Minnie Mouse blanket.
Additional details regarding the discovery of the missing child have emerged as per Daily Gazette.
What did Lt Ryan Maherone report?
Search crews located Halo Branton near the General Electric campus early Sunday afternoon, March 10.
She was swiftly transported to a local hospital by a Mohawk Ambulance, as stated by police spokesman Lt Ryan Macherone.
Macherone said: "I'm saddened to report today that she passed away this afternoon. It's probably the worst thing that will ever happen (in his career). Most likely. "
He added, "The Amber Alert for Halo R Branton has been canceled.”
Her death is currently under investigation as a criminal case. The police spokesperson mentioned that several individuals are being questioned.
He offered limited details, explaining that it is still early in the investigation process.
“It started as a missing person's case and right now it’s being treated as a criminal case, but to quantify what the charges are would be too early at this point,” Macherone remarked.
Confusion over State police's announcement about finding the missing child
Initially, State Police posted on Facebook that the baby was found "safe and in good health".
However, very soon the post was removed, changing it to simply saying that the baby was located.
Despite city police confirming the baby's passing, the original post remained on the State Police Instagram account until 4.30 pm.
On Sunday by 6 pm, the Instagram post was corrected, Times Union reported.
Macherone said he was unaware of the State Police's erroneous report regarding the baby's condition, stating, "We’ve been putting out information on our Facebook page throughout the day today."
New York State Police public information officer Stephanie O’Neil explained the miscommunication, saying in an email, "There was a miscommunication when the child was initially located."
"Once more definitive information became available, I updated the post. As you can imagine we were all hopeful for a more positive outcome.”
Baby's relative mourns loss, calls her 'beautiful'
A woman claiming to be a cousin of the baby's father revealed that the infant and her mother resided in a city homeless shelter.
She mentioned that Halo's father, whose name she withheld, had been engaged in a custody battle.
Speaking outside the city police department headquarters following the Sunday news conference, she expressed grief, stating, "He's grieving, my family's grieving."
Describing the baby, she said, "She was beautiful, she was charming, she was very intelligent."
Additionally, she noted, "She looked just like her father."
