Man Charged After Child’s Body Found Under Aberdeen Home
Grays Harbor County prosecutors have filed criminal charges against 36-year-old Jacob Bevins after the remains of his 4-year-old son, Aiden Bevins, were discovered buried beneath an Aberdeen, Washington, home. Investigators believe the child died in 2024, potentially up to two years before authorities recovered his body in May 2026. Bevins appeared in Grays Harbor County Superior Court, where a judge ordered him held on $750,000 bail.
Criminal Charges and Bail Hearing
During his initial court appearance via Zoom, Jacob Bevins was formally charged with several felonies in connection with his son’s death and the subsequent concealment of his remains. The Grays Harbor County Prosecutor’s Office charged Bevins with homicide by abuse and first-degree assault of a child. Additionally, he faces charges of failing to notify the coroner of human remains and making a false statement to a public servant.
The judge set Bevins’ bail at $750,000, citing the severe nature of the charges and the flight risk associated with the defendant. Prosecutors argued that Bevins actively hid the child’s body for a prolonged period, showing a deliberate effort to evade law enforcement. Defense counsel did not immediately secure a bail reduction during the preliminary hearing.
Timeline of Disappearance and Discovery
Court documents detail a lengthy period of concealment before detectives finally recovered the child’s body. Investigators estimate that Aiden died sometime between March 24, 2024, and August 1, 2024. His remains were not located until May 2026, representing a gap of nearly two years during which the boy’s death went unreported to state authorities.
Detectives discovered the child’s remains buried in a crawlspace underneath his father’s residence in Aberdeen. The boy’s body had been placed inside a plastic storage tote, which was wrapped in a heavy garbage bag and hidden in the dirt. Neighbors later reported observing unusual behavior from the father during this two-year period, such as excessively watering his lawn during rainstorms, which prosecutors suspect was an attempt to mask the scent of decomposition.
False Alibi and Discovery of Remains
The investigation into Aiden’s welfare began unexpectedly due to an unrelated emergency call concerning a different child in the household. Police officers originally arrived at the Aberdeen residence to investigate a missing child report regarding Jacob Bevins’ 6-year-old daughter. Although the young girl was quickly located in safe condition, officers began questioning the father about the whereabouts of his 4-year-old son.
When asked about Aiden, Bevins initially claimed that the boy was living out of state with a relative in Idaho. Investigators worked to verify this claim and quickly determined that the relative had no contact with the child and that the story was entirely fabricated. Upon being confronted with the false alibi, Bevins admitted to police that the child was dead and directed investigators to the crawlspace burial site, claiming the death was the result of an accidental slip where the boy hit his head.
Autopsy Results and Child Welfare Concerns
A subsequent medical examination flatly contradicted the father’s claim of an accidental fall. Forensic specialists conducting the autopsy uncovered extensive blunt force trauma and multiple skeletal fractures, both recent and partially healed, along the boy’s ribs and shoulder blades. The autopsy also revealed visible burn marks across several of the child’s bones, indicating a prolonged pattern of physical abuse.
Aiden’s former foster parents, who attended the court hearing, have publicly criticized the state’s child welfare guidelines. They questioned why state caseworkers returned the boy to his father’s custody, citing the household’s documented history of safety flags and severe substance addiction. The state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families has not commented publicly on the history of the case due to ongoing litigation and privacy laws.
