Missing 2-year-old found dead in alligator's mouth in Florida lake, father charged with murder

A 21-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder after police found the body of his 2-year-old son in the mouth of an alligator days after the child's mother was stabbed to death in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The child, Taylen Mosley, was reported missing when authorities found his mother, Pashun Jeffery, 20, stabbed to death in her apartment on Thursday, Yolanda Fernandez, a police spokesperson, said in a press release.

St. Petersburg authorities' investigation led them on Friday to Dell Holmes Park and Lake Maggiore, which lies adjacent to the park. While searching the area, detectives spotted an alligator with an object in its mouth, St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said in a press conference. After police fired a round at the alligator, the animal dropped the object, which was later identified as the body of Taylen Mosley, Holloway said. His body was recovered completely intact, and the alligator was killed, the chief said.

"We didn't want to find him this way," Holloway said. "But at least we can bring some closure to that family."

Taylen's father, 21-year-old Thomas Mosley, faces two charges of first-degree murder, one for Jeffery, and one for Taylen, according to the chief. Mosley is in the hospital receiving treatment for minor injuries at this time, according to police.

According to an arrest affidavit, Mosley arrived at his mother's house on Wednesday with lacerations to his arms after celebrating his birthday earlier in the day at Jeffery's home.

The injuries to his arm were caused by slippage during a knife attack, the affidavit said.

According to the complaint, Jeffery's family went to check on her on Thursday and discovered blood on the sidewalk near her apartment. Her body was found with over 100 stab wounds, according to the affidavit.

A blood fingerprint, allegedly belonging to Mosley, was found on a cleaning bottle placed under a bed in Jeffery's apartment, as well as a bloody shoe print that had the Gucci emblem, according to the arrest affidavit.

Authorities have not yet determined a cause of death for 2-year-old Taylen.