The body of 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey was discovered partially submerged in Pennsylvania’s Youghiogheny River near Smithton on Thursday morning, September 4, 2025, leading to criminal homicide charges against her foster mother who had reported her missing just hours earlier.
Kourtney Malinda Eutsey, 31, faces multiple charges, including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of a child. State police found the girl’s body around 3:30 a.m. after Eutsey led investigators to the location along the riverbank.
The case began Wednesday, September 3, when Sarah Shipley, identified as Renesmay’s court-ordered custodian, called 911 at 12:41 p.m. to report the child missing from their home on Third Street in Dunbar Borough, Fayette County. Shipley told investigators she had put the children to bed around 2:30 a.m. and discovered Renesmay missing when another child woke her at noon.
However, the investigation quickly unraveled when other children in the home provided contradictory accounts to authorities. One child approached state troopers and apologized for not telling the truth earlier, telling officers she would never see her baby sister again because she was in heaven. Another child disclosed that their mother had killed Renesmay and put her in a tote.
According to court documents, one witness described hearing Renesmay screaming and crying on Tuesday night around 10 p.m. The child reported overhearing Eutsey and Shipley discussing plans to take the victim to a river “far, far away.” The witness allegedly saw the adults yelling at Renesmay before kicking her in the stomach, and when the child was spotted watching, Shipley punched the witness in the mouth.
The same witness told investigators she saw Renesmay’s body placed in a black garbage bag and then into a broken tote carried by Eutsey. The child described Renesmay as appearing to sleep with white lips.
When questioned by police Wednesday night, Eutsey initially provided conflicting information before eventually confessing. She told investigators that approximately one week prior, Renesmay had suffered severe burns to her back while in the bathtub, but no medical treatment was sought for the injury. Eutsey claimed the burn became infected, causing the child to vomit on Tuesday night.
Eutsey alleged she attempted CPR for 20 to 30 minutes to remove vomit from Renesmay’s mouth but the child died. She told police she was afraid to call 911 because she did not want to face consequences regarding the burn injury and the child’s malnourished appearance.
Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele confirmed the investigation revealed signs of systematic abuse in the household. Aubele indicated that Renesmay weighed only 45 pounds and showed evidence of malnourishment, bruises, and what appeared to be cigarette burns on her body. Aubele stated, “It is very apparent that this girl suffered.”
The prosecutor noted that the children in the home were not enrolled in school and were homeschooled, limiting their exposure to professionals who might have observed indicators of abuse. All remaining children have been removed from the residence and placed with other relatives.
Renesmay’s biological mother, Christina Benedetto, revealed she had not seen her daughter in four years after losing custody. Benedetto explained that Eutsey was a blood relative who had been caring for Renesmay and her three siblings since 2019 while Benedetto attempted to regain stability. Benedetto expressed that she searched for her daughter for 13 hours on Wednesday before learning Thursday morning that Renesmay was never actually missing.
Court records indicate Renesmay’s date of death is listed as August 27, 2025, meaning she had been deceased for approximately one week before being reported missing. The charges against Eutsey specify that the child died due to physical abuse and lack of medical treatment.
Eutsey was arraigned Thursday morning and is being held without bail at the Fayette County Prison. Shipley has not been charged, though Aubele indicated additional charges against other individuals may be forthcoming as the investigation continues. An autopsy is pending to determine the official cause and manner of death.
