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    HENDERSON, Kentucky (CNN) -- A search is under way for a mother and her boyfriend who are believed to be on the lam with her nine-month-old baby after a social worker was beaten to death. Boni Frederick's body was found in the Henderson, Kentucky, home of the mother, Renee Terrell, after a scheduled supervised visit. An Amber Alert was issued for Saige Terrell. The little boy was placed in foster care because of neglect, said police Sgt. Dwight Duncan. (See map showing where the baby might be) Saige is believed to be with his mother and her boyfriend, Christopher Luttrell, 23, police said Tuesday. The victim's vehicle may have been spotted Monday night at a gas station near Smithboro, Illinois, in rural Bond County, police said. Police have issued a warrant for Renee Terrell, 33, on kidnapping charges. Employees from the state's Cabinet for Health and Family Services found the body of social worker Boni Frederick, 67, of Morganfield, Kentucky, Monday in the mother's home, where Frederick had taken the child for the supervised visit. The child had been placed in foster care because of neglect, said police Sgt. Dwight Duncan. According to an autopsy done Tuesday, Frederick was beaten to death. She suffered multiple blunt and sharp-force injuries, said police in Henderson. Duncan said Frederick was supposed to be at the mother's home from 9 to 11 a.m. to supervise the visit. A family services spokeswoman said co-workers went to the residence after they had not heard from her. Frederick worked with the department for 15 years and was a "passionate, dedicated" employee, said spokeswoman Vikki Franklin. As a social service worker, she said, Frederick's primary duty was transporting children to and from family visits and doctor appointments. She also said that it is common for a social worker to travel alone, but if a worker is concerned about safety, he or she can request an escort by a police officer or another social worker. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher has ordered flags at all state office buildings to be lowered to half-staff in memory of Frederick. "The first lady and I extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and co-workers of Boni Frederick, a social service worker who died tragically Monday in the line of duty," Fletcher said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has been touched by this tragedy." Flags will remain at half-staff through sunset on the day of Frederick's funeral, according to the governor's Web site. Funeral arrangements have yet to be released to the public. Police believe the couple fled in Frederick's car, a white 2000 Daewoo Nubira four-door station wagon with Kentucky license plate 675 DRV. The vehicle is missing. Renee Terrell is described as 5-feet-5, 240 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She wears glasses. Christopher Wayne Luttrell is 6-foot-2, 150 pounds, with blue eyes and tattoos on his arms. Police said Luttrell is wanted in Louisville, Kentucky, for a parole violation. The state's Amber Alert Web site describes the child as "developmentally disabled," with a scratch on the right side of his face, and a rug burn on the back of his neck. The couple may have family in Evansville, Indiana, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, it says. |
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Nine-month-old Saige Terrell is believed to be with his mother, Renee Terrell, 33, and her boyfriend.
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