On June 3, 2024, the Craig County Sheriff's Office and EMS responded to a residence on Sage Brush Lane in New Castle, Virginia, for a report of a missing four-month-old boy. Upon arrival, EMS found the boy dead. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the death was a homicide. Virginia State Police arrested Trevian Carruth, 26, of Francisville, Louisiana, and charged him with second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance. On June 18, 2024, Natassia Huddleston, 41, of Roanoke, was also arrested and charged with second-degree felony homicide, child endangerment, and child abuse and neglect. Investigators did not release the specific cause of death or the relationship between the suspects and the child.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Both articles report that Trevian Carruth was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, and Natassia Huddleston was arrested and charged with second-degree felony homicide, child endangerment, and child abuse and neglect. The WDBJ article states: "Virginia State Police arrested Natassia Huddleston, 41 or Roanoke... Huddleston was charged with second-degree felony homicide, child endangerment and child abuse and neglect." The WSLS article states: "VSP arrested Trevian Carruth, 26, of Francisville, Louisiana, and charged him with second-degree murder."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The WSLS article states that Trevian Carruth "was processed by the sheriff's office and was charged with possession of a controlled substance." While this is a possession charge rather than a direct statement of drug use, it references substance involvement by one of the suspects charged in connection with the child's death.
Notable Details
The WSLS article notes that the initial call was "for the report of a missing four-month-old boy," but EMS found the boy dead at the residence. This is notable because the child was reported missing rather than injured or unresponsive. Additionally, the WDBJ article explicitly states that "Investigators have not released information about the boy's cause of death or what the relationship was between the boy and the suspects," leaving the nature of the relationship between both charged adults and the child entirely undisclosed. The two suspects are from different states (Carruth from Louisiana, Huddleston from Roanoke, Virginia), which adds an unusual geographic dimension to the case.
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