Mum of baby found beaten to death told police she had been 'bitten by spider'

A mum charged over the death of her badly beaten baby called police to say the child had been bitten by a spider.

Taylor Fast, 21, was arrested and charged with child endangerment after officers said the 17-month-old Layla Fast 'looked like she's been in a car crash'.

A three-year-old boy - believed to be Layla's brother - was also found with a broken leg at the family home.

Police in Festus, Missouri, are now looking for Fast's boyfriend and waiting for the results of an autopsy to discover how Layla died.

Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis told Fox2 : "Anybody that’s a parent. What got me is when I first saw this child, she looked like one of my great nieces.

"We want to know the truth, not some doctored story or some excuse story. We want to know the truth of what happened to this child because someone has to speak for the victim. She can’t speak for herself anymore.

"I’ve been a policeman for 32 years and this is the worst case of child abuse I have ever seen - Nothing even comes close to this. This child looked like a situation, say if a child was involved in a car accident.

Police have not released the name of the boyfriend - but have said he is a 'person of interest', not a suspect, at this stage.

Officers say they were called by Taylor Fast on Sunday and were told little Layla had been bitten by a spider.

Mum of baby found beaten to death told police she had been 'bitten by spider'

A mum charged over the death of her badly beaten baby called police to say the child had been bitten by a spider.

Taylor Fast, 21, was arrested and charged with child endangerment after officers said the 17-month-old Layla Fast 'looked like she's been in a car crash'.

A three-year-old boy - believed to be Layla's brother - was also found with a broken leg at the family home.

Police in Festus, Missouri, are now looking for Fast's boyfriend and waiting for the results of an autopsy to discover how Layla died.

Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis told Fox2 : "Anybody that’s a parent. What got me is when I first saw this child, she looked like one of my great nieces.

"We want to know the truth, not some doctored story or some excuse story. We want to know the truth of what happened to this child because someone has to speak for the victim. She can’t speak for herself anymore.

"I’ve been a policeman for 32 years and this is the worst case of child abuse I have ever seen - Nothing even comes close to this. This child looked like a situation, say if a child was involved in a car accident.

Police have not released the name of the boyfriend - but have said he is a 'person of interest', not a suspect, at this stage.

Officers say they were called by Taylor Fast on Sunday and were told little Layla had been bitten by a spider.