Florida police said a 12-year-old girl who was found dead last week was possibly sexually abused by her father before he killed her.
Tallahassee police said that Andrew Wiley, 36, killed Lori Paige on June 1, 2023, and dumped her body in a wooded area in Thomas County, Georgia. Investigators wrote that purchases Wiley made before the slaying ” suggests there was likely abuse of Paige occurring, which may have been of a sexual nature,” according to WCTV.
READ: Lori Paige, Missing Since 2023, Found Dead; Dad Charged With Murder
A day after the murder, Wiley allegedly purchased a plane ticket from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico. He reportedly bought the ticket hours after dumping his daughter’s body.
Phone records indicated that Wiley immediately drove to Jacksonville. For unknown reasons, he immediately returned to Tallahassee.
Police searched Wiley’s car last February. They reportedly recovered various items, including a pistol, ammunition, and car cleaning fluid.
According to WCTV, Paige’s blood was discovered on carpet in the car despite Wiley having a cleaner specifically intended to clean blood. Polie also noted that Wiley’s vehicle did not have floormats.
Wiley reported Paige missing, claiming she left home with a backpack while he worked a night shift. Police Chief Lawrence Revell said Wiley’s account showed inconsistencies as their investigation continued.
Notably, Tallahassee police said amid Paige’s disappearance that foul play wasn’t suspected in her case. They also initially deemed the missing 12-year-old as a “runaway,” though the police department has since stopped using that terminology in missing person cases.
On April 5, Paige’s remains were discovered at Merrily Plantation in Thomas County, Georgia. As of Monday, officials have not publicly disclosed how she died.
In addition to searching Wiley’s car, police seized his phone last February. An analysis determined that the device was used to search online for remote bodies of water in Alabama and Georgia.
Wiley is charged with second-degree murder. He remains jailed without bond.
[Feature Photo: Tallahassee police]
