Enfield officials provide timeline of investigation into 12-year-old's death as another search warrant executed
Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit was assisting Enfield investigators, searching the home where a 12-year-old was found dead in March.
The search warrant is sealed at this time, officials said, but NBC Connecticut has learned that the search warrants from the initial police investigation in March could be unsealed.
Police were called to the Elm Street home on March 18 on the report of a 12-year-old who was found dead. At the time, police could not confirm whether there was anything suspicious, but the major crime unit was at the home for hours.
On April 2, the 12-year-old’s stepfather, Anthony Federline, was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury. The charges stemmed from evidence investigators found before the girl’s passing.
This week, NBC Connecticut spoke with parents who were concerned that Federline was still working as an Enfield bus driver from March 18 to April 2. Enfield Mayor Gina Cekala said in a meeting Tuesday night that the DNA didn’t come back until April 2.
“Until that point, [Federline] was not a suspect. He was only one of multiple males living in the home, and we did not even have confirmation that the victim had been sexually assaulted by anyone, never mind a male, and from that home at that point,” Cekala said. “After this information was obtained, detectives immediately went to work on the arrest warrant, walking it through with the prosecutor and the judge for approval on Thursday evening, which was April 2.”
From new court documents, NBC Connecticut learned that Federlin did not post is $1 million bond and is still held in custody.
The cause of the 12-year-old’s death is still under investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Investigator and the toxicology report could take weeks.
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