A Wasilla couple has been charged in connection with the death of a child that was in their care.
A Palmer grand jury indicted Jackie Caswell, 47, on murder charges and both her and Sergie Krukoff III, 46, on charges of child endangerment. Alaska State Troopers arrested the pair on Saturday after earlier issuing a public notice seeking information to help locate them.
The Anchorage Daily News reports the case involves a 4-year-old girl.
Troopers said in a written statement posted online that they responded Aug. 11 to a report of a child requiring CPR at a Wasilla home. The child was brought to a local hospital, where she died, according to the trooper statement.
The death was ruled a homicide.
Palmer District Attorney Trina Sears did not respond to a request for comment.
According to a Daily News account of Caswell and Krukoff’s first court appearance Monday, Sears told the judge handling the case that Caswell had hit the child, resulting in brain damage. The newspaper reported that Sears also told the judge that the couple had withheld food from the child.
Both Caswell and Krukoff pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday. The judge ordered Caswell held on $300,000 cash bail and Krukoff held on $35,000 cash bail.
Both remained jailed as of Wednesday.
The next court hearing in the case is set for Oct. 14.
