Missing newborn found dead in duffel bag in Georgia woods; dad detained

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies are investigating the death of a 15-day-old baby left in a duffel bag in a wooded northwest Georgia area, reports CBS affiliate WGCL.

Caliyah McNabb's parents told investigators the little girl was fed and changed around 5 a.m. Saturday and put in bed with her 2-year-old sister at the family's home in Covington, Ga. They said when they went to check on her at around 10 a.m., she was gone.

Investigators said the disappearance was suspicious, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Police issued a search warrant for the home and family members were questioned. A search party was organized and they canvassed a wooded area near the home for the baby. 

An official with Newton County Sheriff's Office said the baby's body was found inside a duffel bag in the woods on Sunday around 3 p.m.

The infant's mother was questioned by police and released. Authorities said the father, identified as Christopher McNabb, took off running when he found out the infant's body was found. 

He was found four hours later near an convenience store and was charged with a probation violation.  

Although Caliyah was only 15 days old, her grandfather, Tim Bell, told WGCL he already has a deep emotional bond with the baby.

"She was tiny. You had to feed her every two hours. You had to change her little diapers. Her little head was the size of a tennis ball. She was so little. She was just precious," said Bell. "From the first time you pick them up, there's love there. That love is broken. It hurts like I have never hurt before."

An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.