Mother, Daughter Dead; Boyfriend In Custody

A western Kansas woman and her 4-year-old daughter were found dead, and the woman’s boyfriend is in custody, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says.

Ford County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in Spearville Wednesday afternoon, where a man reported his girlfriend, 31-year-old Kayla Vasquez, and her 4-year-old daughter, Aalilyah Vasquez, were missing.

Deputies and officers with the Spearville police department noticed evidence that a crime had been committed inside the home, and detained the boyfriend – 31-year-old Michael Peterson – for questioning.

Wednesday afternoon, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office requested KBI assistance.

KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the scene.

Kayla Vasquez’s body was found in rural Ford County about 4:15 a.m. Thursday.

Her daughter’s body was found about 90 minutes later in Kinsley, about 20 miles northeast of Spearville in Edwards County.

Autopsies will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Peterson was arrested Thursday morning on possible capital murder charges.