ENFIELD – The wife of a man accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who was found dead in her home last month said Sunday she knew nothing about the charges against him.
“I’m not aware of the charges and I’m still trying to understand what happened. I’m allowing the legal process to unfold,” Melanie Federline said of Anthony Federline, 39, who was arrested last week on charges of first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a child.
On the morning of March 18, police were called to a home in the 100 block of Elm Street for a report of an unconscious woman. Police confirmed at the scene that Melanie Federline’s 12-year-old daughter, Eve Rogers, was dead. A representative from the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Sunday that the cause and manner of the girl’s death were pending further study.
“I take this very seriously and cooperate fully,” Melanie Federline said. “Right now, my priority is my children and their well-being, and I ask that privacy be respected as we navigate this process.”
Enfield police identified Anthony Federline in an arrest warrant as the girl’s stepfather. An investigator noticed signs that Eve had been sexually assaulted, the warrant said. DNA samples taken from the girl and other family members, including Anthony Federline, indicated he was the contributor to the DNA found in the girl’s genital swab, the warrant said.
Police also found two pills on the floor of the girl’s bedroom, according to Federline’s arrest warrant. One pill is red or pink, and the other is clear with a white powder inside. There was another white pill on the girl’s desk that appeared to be labeled “aspirin,” the warrant said.
Ken McSogle, a spokesman for the state Department of Children and Families, said last week that the agency is working with police to investigate Eve’s death and the sexual assault allegations against her stepfather.
Federline has been held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in state Superior Court in Hartford on Monday, police said.
This article was originally published on CT man accused of sexually assaulting daughter who was found dead and her wife says she knew nothing about it.
