Florida Couple Arrested after Dumping Toddler in Trash Heap

November 11, 2017

• The Case of Adelynn Merrell, 3
• Suspects: Cory Hagwell & Destinee Merrell

CRESTVIEW, FL — Authorities in Okaloosa County say a 3-year-old girl is dead following what investigators describe as an extended pattern of abuse inside her home. Adelynn Merrell was reported missing Friday afternoon before investigators uncovered evidence that led to the discovery of her body in a wooded area less than a mile from the family’s residence.

According to Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley, deputies were called to 4700 Bobolink Way around 12:30 p.m. after Destinee Merrell, 23, and her boyfriend, Cory Hagwell, 29, reported Adelynn missing.

Initially, the couple told deputies they had last seen the little girl playing in the backyard. As investigators searched the area, Destinee Merrell provided a different account.

“They said they’d last seen her playing in the back yard. An intense search was conducted but Destinee Merrell then told investigators her boyfriend, Cory Hagwell had kicked the little girl in the head and locked her in a closet in the master bedroom Thursday night because she had gotten out of her car seat.”

Investigators later located Adelynn’s body in a wooded area off Palmetto Avenue.

Sheriff Larry Ashley said:

“She had apparent head trauma, but an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause and manner of death.”

As the investigation continued, detectives said Destinee Merrell and Cory Hagwell provided conflicting accounts of what had occurred.

However, another child inside the home reportedly told investigators he witnessed Cory Hagwell kick Adelynn while she was playing and heard Destinee Merrell say:

“Stop Cory.”

The child also reportedly told investigators he last saw Adelynn lying on the floor inside a bedroom closet and that she was not speaking. He said he never saw or heard from her again.

Investigators also removed another child from the home for evaluation. During a wellness examination at the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, physicians found the 5-year-old to be severely malnourished, reportedly weighing less than 33 pounds with prominent bones visible throughout the body. Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between the children.

According to Sheriff Larry Ashley, Destinee Merrell described a pattern of escalating abuse over the previous month after Cory Hagwell lost his job.

“During the jail interview Merrell also told investigators Hagwell lost his job about one month ago, and began exhibiting escalating violence towards Adelynn. Merrell described hearing thuds and the sounds of Adelynn crying fifteen to sixteen times over that period. She said Hagwell would also withhold food from Adelynn and put her in the closet for extended periods of time.”

Investigators further determined that on September 1, Destinee Merrell allegedly left Adelynn and another child locked inside a room of the home. Authorities say the children eventually broke a window and were discovered by neighbors.

Charges

Cory Hagwell

• First-degree murder
• Aggravated child abuse

Destinee Merrell

• Accessory after the fact of murder
• Aggravated child abuse
• Three counts of child neglect

Both suspects are being held in the Okaloosa County Jail.

CASE UPDATE – AUTOPSY – November 12, 2017

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has announced that the autopsy of Adelynn Merrell, 3, determined the cause of death to be a skull fracture to the back of her head caused by blunt force trauma.

Based on the autopsy findings, investigators upgraded the charges against Cory Hagwell, 29, to include first-degree murder. Destinee Merrell, 23, now also faces an additional charge of accessory after the fact to murder.

Authorities said deputies responded to the family’s home on November 10 after Cory Hagwell and Destinee Merrell reported that Adelynn had disappeared while playing in the backyard and suggested she had been abducted.

As deputies conducted an extensive search, investigators said they became concerned by Destinee Merrell’s calm demeanor during interviews.

According to investigators, Destinee Merrell eventually disclosed that Cory Hagwell had kicked Adelynn in the head, confined her inside a bedroom closet, and later removed her body after she was found unresponsive.

During an interview at the Okaloosa County Jail, Destinee Merrell told investigators the incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. She stated that she did not check on Adelynn inside the closet until approximately 11:30 a.m.

Investigators allege that approximately one hour later, the couple contacted law enforcement with what authorities described as a fabricated missing child and abduction report.

Detectives continue to report that Destinee Merrell and Cory Hagwell have provided conflicting accounts regarding the events leading to Adelynn’s death.

A child who was inside the home reportedly told investigators he witnessed Cory Hagwell kick Adelynn while she was playing and heard Destinee Merrell say:

“Stop Cory.”

The child also reportedly said he later saw Adelynn lying on the floor inside a bedroom closet and that she was not speaking. He told investigators he never saw or heard from her again.

Investigators said Destinee Merrell described a month-long pattern of escalating abuse after Cory Hagwell lost his job.

According to investigators, Destinee Merrell reported hearing repeated impacts and Adelynn crying on approximately 15 to 16 occasions during that period. She also stated that Cory Hagwell regularly withheld food from the child and confined her in a closet for extended periods.

Updated Charges

Cory Hagwell

• First-degree murder
• Aggravated child abuse

Destinee Merrell

• Accessory after the fact to murder
• Aggravated child abuse
• Three counts of child neglect

Both Cory Hagwell and Destinee Merrell remain held without bond in the Okaloosa County Jail.

SENTENCING UPDATE – July 2, 2021

Nearly four years after the death of Adelynn Merrell, 3, Cory Hagwell has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after entering a no contest plea in the case.

Cory Hagwell pleaded no contest to reduced charges stemming from Adelynn’s death, avoiding a trial on the original first-degree murder charge.

Sentencing

Cory Hagwell

• 30 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter of a child.
• Sentenced on additional related charges in connection with Adelynn Merrell’s death.

According to prosecutors, Adelynn sustained a fatal head injury on November 9, 2017, after Cory Hagwell became angry when she got out of her car seat. Investigators alleged that after she was injured, she was confined to a bedroom closet. Several hours later, Cory Hagwell discovered the child unresponsive and removed her body from the home, leaving it in a wooded area before reporting her missing with Destinee Merrell.

Deputies with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office later located Adelynn’s body following the reported disappearance.

Adelynn Merrell was laid to rest at All Saints Cemetery in Salina, Kansas, where she was born.

At the time of the investigation, Destinee Merrell also faced criminal charges.

Charges Against Destinee Merrell

• Accessory after the fact to murder
• Aggravated child abuse
• Child neglect

The investigation also uncovered concerns involving the other children living in the home.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office stated:

“The other children in the home were found to be severely malnourished and the investigation revealed they were routinely confined in bedrooms and closets.”

The sentencing brings the criminal case against Cory Hagwell to a close, October 6, 2021 Destinee Merrell were handled separately.

SENTENCING UPDATE – October 9, 2021

Destinee Merrell, the mother of Adelynn Merrell, has been sentenced following her guilty plea in connection with her daughter’s 2017 death.

Sentencing

Destinee Merrell

• 10 years in prison for accessory after the fact to murder.
• Two concurrent five-year prison sentences for child neglect.
• Received credit for time served since her arrest in 2017.

The sentence follows Destinee Merrell’s guilty plea resolving the charges filed against her after investigators concluded she failed to protect Adelynn from ongoing abuse and participated in concealing the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.