BERNE, N.Y. -- A 19-year-old has been arrested and charged with the murder of 5-year-old Kenneth White, whose body was found early Friday morning near his home in Berne, Albany County.
Tiffany VanAlstyne, who police said is Kenneth's cousin, called police Thursday and reported that White was abducted by two masked men, according to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. That triggered a massive search and an Amber Alert that was canceled early Friday morning.
Apple said that Kenneth White died of strangulation, and that initial evidence indicates his body was taken across the road, thrown over a guardrail, and covered in snow. Apple said that Kenneth also suffered blunt force trauma.
"Quite honestly, basically thrown away like a piece of trash," said Apple.
Police said VanAlstyne told them one of the masked men held her down while the other took her cousin. Police quickly noticed that something just didn't add up.
"We were starting to come up with contradictory statements," said Apple.
The sheriff said that Kenneth and his two sisters were in the care of their aunt, Brenda VanAlstyne, and Tiffany often babysat the children. The district attorney could not speak to the health of the two girls, but police said they were in the home at the time. One of the girls is Kenneth's twin sister; the other, a younger sister.
The children's aunt, their legal guardian, was out of the home.
"She just, she loved the children; she would do anything for them," Brenda VanAlstyne, Tiffany's mother, said, after Tiffany's court appearance. "She taught them school - that's why this is a shock to me.
I can't do this right now. I don't know, I wasn't home. I'm sorry."
Apple said the murder took place within a short time frame - 30 minutes. He did not mention a motive, nor did he talk about the household atmosphere. He said he does not want the two young girls to return to the home.
Kenneth was a kindergartener in the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District.