Husband Of Mom Of Dead Denver Boy, 7, Also Arrested

DENVER, CO – The husband of a woman who turned herself in to Denver police in connection with the discovery of her dead son's body, age 7, in a storage unit is also being held in Denver County jail.

Leland Pankey, 39, was taken into custody on Dec. 27 on a warrant from a November, 2017 domestic violence charge against Elisha Pankey, 43.

The body of Elisha Pankey's son, identified unofficially as Caden McWilliams, was found in a storage unit Dec. 23, 2018 by Denver and Aurora police acting on a tip, according to documents obtained by the Denver Post. Neither the Denver police nor the Office of the Denver Medical Examiner has officially identified the boy.

Homicide investigators believe the boy died around May 24, 2018 at the storage facility in the 5000 block of 5000 block of East Evans Avenue, the Post reported.

His mother turned herself in Jan. 2 and faces charges of child abuse resulting in death.

Elisha Pankey was arrested earlier, on Dec. 22, for drug possession after an Aurora police officer involved in a missing person investigation for Caden. The officer found heroin in her hotel room at an Extended Stay hotel, an arrest affidavit cited by the Post said. She was released from the Arapahoe County jail on a recognizance bond on Dec. 24, the day after her son's body was found, the Post reported.

She is now being held in Denver County jail on $250,000 bond.

Her husband, Leland Pankey, is being held on a $25,000 bond for failing to appear in a domestic battery case. In November, 2017, Leland Pankey allegedly strangled his wife until she lost consciousness, an arrest affidavit said. He was charged with second-degree assault.

Leland Pankey has not been charged in the boy's murder.

According to Leland Pankey's arrest affidavit and a prosecutor's reported court remarks, Elisha and Leland Pankey were parents of two children.

Although the arrest affidavit for Elisha Pankey was under seal, the Post obtained 2018 homicide data through an open records request.

Denver Police are still requesting anyone with information regarding Elisha Pankey or her 7-year old son to please contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).

Related: 7-Year-Old Found In Storage Unit Had Been Dead Since May: Cops

READ MORE in the Denver Post.

Image: Leland Pankey via Denver Police

This story has been updated to correct the age of Elisha Pankey, who is 43.

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