Woman arrested after 4-year-old found dead in a closet

Press Release:
Greenville, MS— On January 7, 2024 around 4:30pm, the Greenville Police Department received a call in reference to a welfare concern of a 4yr old in the 2000 block of Johnnie Lane.

When officers arrived, contact was made with a parent of the child who advised that they have not seen the child for weeks and came to speak with a relative who was keeping the child. Police were later led to a closet where the remains of what appeared to be a 4yr old child was located.

Further investigation led to the arrest of 34-year-old Catrica Hardy of Greenville. Hardy was taken into custody and has been formally charged with Manslaughter and Child Deprivation of Necessaries With Substantial Harm [97-5-39(1)(d)]. The remains found in the closet have been sent to the Crime Lab for an autopsy. Hardy is currently being held in the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility where she awaits her initial appearance.