An Oregon father is facing a murder charge after allegedly confessing to killing his 11-month-old son and dumping the infant's body in a river, authorities said.
Jared Stoller, 27, called Sutherlin police on Sunday reporting that his infant son was missing from a room at the Relax Inn, according to KATU. Stoller told investigators he woke up and found his son missing from a car seat where the child had been sleeping. He reported that a window in the room had been pushed in, suggesting a possible abduction.
However, once at the police station, Stoller admitted to lying about the suspected kidnapping, according to KEZI. The father then confessed to killing his infant son days earlier and discarding the body in the South Umpqua River.
Background
Stoller initially told investigators that his son had died during co-sleeping, according to the Register-Guard. The story changed when authorities pressed for more details about the circumstances surrounding the child's death.
The Sutherlin Police Department responded to the initial missing persons report and later conducted an interview with Stoller at the police station. During that interview, the father provided additional information that led investigators to suspect his involvement in the child's death.
Stoller agreed to take police to the location where he had discarded the infant's body. Officers located the child's remains in the South Umpqua River. An autopsy remains pending, according to reports.
The Charges
Stoller is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree abuse of a corpse, according to court records. The charges stem from his confession to investigators regarding the death of his 11-month-old son.
The first-degree murder charge reflects the alleged premeditated nature of the killing, while the second-degree abuse of a corpse charge relates to the alleged dumping of the infant's body in the river.
Stoller is due to appear in court on Friday for arraignment. The case remains under investigation by the Sutherlin Police Department.
Key Takeaways
- Jared Stoller, 27, called Sutherlin police reporting his 11-month-old son missing from a Relax Inn room
- After being taken to the police station, Stoller admitted to lying about a kidnapping and confessed to killing his infant son
- The father initially claimed the child died during co-sleeping but later confessed to manually strangling the infant
- Stoller led police to the South Umpqua River where they recovered the child's body
- An autopsy is pending to determine the exact cause of death
- Stoller is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree abuse of a corpse
What's Next
Stoller is scheduled to appear in court on Friday for arraignment. The Sutherlin Police Department continues to investigate the case, and the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office is expected to complete an autopsy to determine the official cause of death. The investigation may reveal additional details about the timeline of events leading up to the child's death and the circumstances surrounding the father's initial false report to authorities.