Amber-Leah Valentine and Jon Imes: Arizona couple arrested for disposing off their 16-year-old son's body and claiming he ran away
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MOHAVE COUNTY, ARIZONA: The dead body of a 16-year-old boy was allegedly discarded by his parents who claimed he ran away. The Arizona couple was arrested along with a third person who is charged with aggravated assault and child abuse in connection to the case, according to police.
On Monday, March 6, authorities stated that they are yet to determine the cause of death of the teenager and are expecting more charges. Jon Imes, 41, and Amber-Leah Valentine, 41, living in the city of Kingman on the 2300 block of Packard Avenu claimed their teenage son ran away from home and deputies from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office were first dispatched to the place on February 25, reported Law and Crime.
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When was the teenager last seen?
According to the sheriff's office, the deputies were told the teenager was last seen on February 24 at around 10 am, a day before their initial investigation. Three days later, cops were informed that a discarded body was discovered in Kingman in the area of Anson Smith Road and Indian Canyon Road.
"A deceased white male was located wrapped in a blanket behind a stone wall. Detectives responded to the scene and the decedent was conveyed by The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office. The identity of the deceased was unknown, and an autopsy was scheduled to determine the cause/manner of death," wrote the sheriff's office.
Who is the third person involved in the case?
While the case of death remained unsolved, Valentine called the Mohave County office on Thursday to inform that she just "freed" her teenage daughter. Richard Pounds, 34, and a woman who was Valentine's roommate allegedly held the 14-year-old girl captive. The woman is not named as she was not charged with a crime.
The girl and Valentine were shifted to Kingman Regional Medical Center, authorities said. "Amber-Leah Valentine indicated that she and her husband, Jon Imes, had disposed off their 16-year-old son’s body at the previously mentioned location," according to authorities. "She admitted that she lied to Deputies when they reported him as a runaway and acknowledged that he was already deceased at the time of the report. During questioning, Jon Imes admitted to disposing off his son’s body and lying to Deputies about him running away," police added.
At the hospital, investigators who spoke with the girl were told that using a BB gun, Pounds shot her in the eye. The 14-year-old girl also claimed of being a victim of abuse in the home. She is currently receiving medical treatment after she was taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Child Safety, according to Law and Crime.
In the meantime, for felony abandonment/concealment of a deceased body, the Arizona couple Imes and Valentine were busted and taken into custody at the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility. Following a search warrant executed at their home, Pounds and the woman were questioned after they were taken into custody, according to authorities.
"After questioning, Richard Pounds was arrested for felony Child Abuse and Aggravated Assault and booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention Center," police wrote and added that the female roommate was released. "This case remains under active investigation and additional charges are pending," authorities said on Monday, March 6, as autopsy results were pending.