A nine-year-old Pennsylvania girl reported missing was found dead in a river, leading to the arrest of her adoptive mother on homicide charges. Renesmay Eutsey’s body was discovered partially submerged in the Youghiogheny River near Smithton in Westmoreland County on Thursday morning, September 4, 2025.
Kourtney Malinda Eutsey, 31, faces charges including criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of a child. The adoptive mother (a live-in caretaker) and her partner, Sarah Shipley, 35, (the court-appointed legal guardian), had reported Renesmay missing from their shared home on Third Street in Dunbar Borough around 12:41 p.m. on September 3.
According to police documents, the couple initially claimed Renesmay had run away after being grounded and sent to bed around 2:30 a.m. on September 3. Shipley told investigators she discovered the girl missing when another child woke her around noon, noting that a bedroom window was cracked open.
The investigation took a critical turn when Children and Youth Services interviewed other children living in the home. One child told police she would never see her baby sister again because she was in heaven. Another child revealed witnessing the abuse, telling authorities she heard Renesmay screaming and crying on the night of September 2, and saw Eutsey and Shipley yelling at the girl and kicking her in the stomach.
The witness further described overhearing the adults discuss taking Renesmay to a river that was far away. She told investigators she saw Renesmay’s body placed in a black garbage bag and then into a tote container. When one child witnessed the abuse, Shipley allegedly punched that child in the face.
During questioning on the evening of September 4, Eutsey provided investigators with details about Renesmay’s death. She claimed the girl had suffered an untreated burn injury to her back while in the bathtub approximately one week earlier, which may have become infected. On September 3, Eutsey said Renesmay began vomiting and choking, prompting her to attempt CPR for 20 to 30 minutes before the child died.
Eutsey told police she did not call emergency services because she feared getting in trouble due to the child’s burn injuries and appearance. “She didn’t deserve to be thrown away like garbage,” said Christina Benedetto, Renesmay’s biological mother, who had been searching for her daughter for 13 hours before learning of her death.
After placing the body in a bag and tote, Eutsey drove to an area near Perryopolis where she left it along the riverbank. She later led police to the location where Renesmay’s body was recovered. Surveillance video from the home showed a vehicle arriving around 3:53 a.m. on September 4, with someone going in and out of the house multiple times.
Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele described the evidence of abuse as unmistakable, noting that Renesmay appeared malnourished and had various bruises and cigarette burns on her body. The girl weighed just 45 pounds and stood four feet tall with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Aubele indicated that the signs showed the child had suffered significantly. A six-year-old boy in the home is currently in the hospital suffering from severe malnutrition and neglect. According to doctors, he is the size of a small toddler. An 11-year-old girl described physical abuse, and a two-year-old and a three-year-old were also in the home.
The biological mother, Christina Benedetto, acknowledged making mistakes that led to losing custody of her children five years earlier. She explained that Renesmay and her siblings went to live with Eutsey, a relative, while she attempted to get back on her feet. Benedetto indicated she had not been allowed contact with any of the children and had not seen Renesmay in four years.
All other children in the home have been removed by Children and Youth Services. The couple had been homeschooling the children. Eutsey is being held without bond at the Fayette County Prison, deemed a threat to herself and others according to court documents.
District Attorney Aubele confirmed that additional charges are expected as the investigation continues. Shipley has not been charged criminally at this time, though the complaint alleges her involvement in the abuse. Court records indicate Renesmay’s date of death was August 27, 2025, meaning she had been dead for approximately one week when reported missing.
The community has responded with vigils and calls for justice. Hundreds of residents gathered at a park in Dunbar for memorial services, expressing anger about the failure to protect the child. Organizers questioned how neighbors and systems failed to notice signs of abuse and pushed for additional protective laws for children.
An autopsy is pending to determine the official cause and manner of death. The extensive search involved multiple agencies, K-9 units, drones, and ground teams before investigators were led to the body’s location. Pennsylvania State Police continue investigating the case.
