Updated 6:20 p.m. 11-5

The missing baby from Chipley, Florida is found alive inside of a wooden box.

Authorities have now arrested the child's mother and aunt.

Kandis Boyer was overjoyed when she finally gets the news that her baby granddaughter is found safe and sound.

Boyer said, "The elation was just unexplainable. It was just uncontrollable. I thought I was going to have to catch myself. There's just no other feeling like it in the world."

Emotions also ran through all of the people who'd been searching for seven month old Shannon Dedrick since she was reported missing Saturday.

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock says Shannon was found around 9:55 Wednesday night at her babysitter Susan Baker's house at 3395 Orange Hill Road in Chipley, Florida.

Haddock says the baby was inside of a two-by-three cedar wood box under a bed in Baker's home, wrapped in a blanket.

Washington County, FL Sheriff Bobby Haddock said, "We went to the hospital, flying to the hospital. Once we got to the hospital, we called our wives, five or six of us called our wives to let them know that we had found the child. there's a lot of grown men cried, shedding tears."

Haddock says Baker is also Shannon's aunt--the stepsister of the infant's father.

Haddock says on October 30th, Shannon's mother, 25-year-old Crystina Lynn Mercer, asked Baker to take permanent custody of the baby.

Haddock says the next day, the women made the exchange around 1:30 a.m. and Baker reported baby Shannon missing before 11:30 a.m.

Baker and Mercer face several misdeanor and felony charges.

Sheriff Haddock says Baker would put Shannon in the box whenever Baker thought authorities were coming over.

He says the box was hiddden by items under the bed and that Baker said she put some baking soda in the box to hide the smell of the baby's diaper.

Authorities were not able to release an explanation as to why Mercer wanted Baker to have custody of Shannon.

Shannon is said to be doing fine.

She is turned over to DCF for now.

Boyer is Mercer's mother. She is from San Antonio, Texas and says she was notified with a phone call by Shannon's Godmother that Shannon was missing.

Boyer did not comment on the circumstances surrounding Shannon's disappearance.

But, she said, "We are here for my daughter, Crystina. We love her deeply. We are behind her; we're going to stand behind her no matter what. But, right now, we are here for the best interest of the child."

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Updated 2:35p.m 11-5

FDLE NEWS RELEASE:

Two Charged in Disappearance of Missing Baby Shannon Dedrick

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock today announces the arrest of Susan Baker, 50, and Crystina Lynn Mercer, 25, both of Chipley, in the disappearance of seven-month-old Shannon Dedrick. Baker, the child’s babysitter and half-sister to the child’s father, was charged with:

Neglect of a child with aggravated circumstances – 2nd degree felony
Interference with child custody – 3rd degree felony
Filing a false report regarding a missing child – 1st degree misdemeanor
Filing a false report of a crime – 1st degree misdemeanor
Contributing to the delinquency of a child – 1st degree misdemeanor

Mercer, the child’s mother, was charged with:

Interference with child custody – 3rd degree felony
Desertion of a child – 3rd degree felony
Filing a false report regarding a missing child – 1st degree misdemeanor
Filing a false report of a crime – 1st degree misdemeanor
Contributing to the delinquency of a child – 1st degree misdemeanor

Investigators learned that on the night of Oct. 30 Baker and Mercer agreed to allow Baker to take permanent custody of the baby. The two arranged to meet at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 31 at Mercer’s residence for Mercer to give the child to Baker. Mercer later reported the child missing at 11:23 a.m.

Shannon Dedrick was safely located at 9:55 p.m. last night at Baker’s residence located at 3395 Orange Hill Road in Chipley after Baker gave investigators consent to search the residence. The baby was found in a 2-foot by 3-foot wooden box under a bed in Baker’s home.

The baby was taken to Northwest Florida Community Hospital where she was evaluated. The child is currently in the care of Florida Department of Children and Families.

Susan Baker’s husband, James Baker, was detained last night but has since been released.

Baker and Mercer were booked into the Washington County Jail.

Sheriff Haddock thanks the following agencies for their assistance on the investigation: rescue personnel from Liberty, Gulf and Bay County Sheriff’s Offices; K-9 teams from Klass Kids, Florida State Hospital, Gulf Correctional, and Southwest TANSAR; law enforcement personnel from Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FBI, Team ADAM, an extension of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Office of the State Attorney, 14th Judicial Circuit, Bay, Calhoun, Jackson, Gulf, and Holmes County Sheriff’s Offices, Chipley and Graceville Police Departments, Florida Department of Corrections, Bay County Mounted Posse and the Salvation Army.

Sheriff Haddock thanks the following agencies for their assistance on the investigation: rescue personnel from Liberty, Gulf and Bay County Sheriff’s Offices; K-9 teams from Klass Kids, Florida State Hospital, Gulf Correctional, and Southwest TANSAR; law enforcement personnel from Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FBI, Team ADAM, an extension of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Office of the State Attorney, 14th Judicial Circuit, Bay, Calhoun, Jackson, Gulf, and Holmes County Sheriff’s Offices, Chipley and Graceville Police Departments, Florida Department of Corrections, Bay County Mounted Posse and the Salvation Army.

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Updated 2:17 p.m 11-5

CHIPLEY, Fla. (AP) --

A mother who reported her infant daughter missing had secretly turned her over to her baby sitter, who hid her in a box under a bed, authorities said Thursday.

Chrystina Lynn Mercer gave 7-month-old Shannon Dedrick to Susan Elizabeth Baker early Saturday, about 10 hours before she was reported missing, Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock said Thursday.

The report led to a five-day search in and around this rural Panhandle town that ended late Wednesday when Shannon was found alive. Baker had allowed deputies and their search dogs into her home, which is about 12 miles from Mercer's. Haddock said Baker had asked Mercer on Friday if she could permanently take custody of Shannon, though he did not say why.

Over the summer, Baker wrote Gov. Charlie Crist's office pleading for help for the baby. She claimed Shannon's father shook her and that he, Mercer and others smoked cigarettes and drugs in front of her.

Haddock said the child apparently had been fed while she was with Baker and was in good condition, although no bottle was found in the box.

"She was way back under the bed," he said. "But she was not crying."

Mercer and Baker remain jailed. Arraignments were scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Mercer is charged with interference of child custody, desertion of a child and several other charges. Charges against Baker include neglect of a child with aggravated circumstances and interference of child custody.

Baker's husband, James Arthur Baker, was arrested but has been released. He is still under investigation, Haddock said. The child's father, Russell Dedrick Jr., is not believed to have been involved.

Shannon's parents told investigators they last saw her when they went to bed around 3 a.m. Saturday and investigators thought she had vanished sometime between then and 8 a.m.

About 100 law enforcement agents and others spent days scouring dense vines and marshes around the baby's home in a remote, makeshift community of dirt roads, tin-roof shacks and old mobile homes.

"Statistically speaking this should not have ever happened, that we found this child alive, especially after so many days," said Haddock, who cradled Shannon in his arms as he spoke to reporters earlier Thursday. "Time was against us."

According to court documents, child welfare officials began looking into allegations Shannon was being abused less than two weeks after she was born.

Investigators frequently went to the infant's home from August to late September and reported that both parents used marijuana and kept a messy home. But they said Shannon seemed to be cared for and in September, a physician determined that she was healthy and expressed "no concerns regarding the baby."

Susan Baker was involved in another missing child case in South Carolina more than two decades ago. She told authorities her stepson, 3-year-old Paul Leonard Baker, disappeared from the family's Beaufort, S.C., home on March 5, 1987, while she was napping.

A massive manhunt in the swampy area around the home turned up nothing. She and her husband, James Baker, were extradited to South Carolina in 2000 and charged with assault and battery in Paul's disappearance, according to police reports provided by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. But a grand jury never indicted them and the child was never found.

Susan Baker did serve prison time after authorities investigating her stepson's disappearance discovered a 6-year-old girl in the Baker home had been badly beaten. Susan Baker was sentenced to 10 years in prison but the sentence was suspended after 80 days. Authorities could not say how she was related to the girl.
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Updated 8:52 a.m 11-5

FDLE Press Release:

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock announces the safe rescue of missing seven-month-old baby Shannon Dedrick.

The baby was located at 9:55 p.m. last night at 3395 Orange Hill Road. This residence is the home of Susan Baker, the child’s sitter, and her husband James.

The baby was found in a box under a bed during a search of the residence.

The baby was immediately taken to Northwest Florida Community Hospital where she was evaluated and appeared unharmed.

An additional evaluation is scheduled for Thursday.

Investigators have detained three individuals: Susan Baker, James Baker, and Crystina Lynn Mercer. There have been no charges at the current time.

Sheriff Haddock will hold the press briefing already scheduled for today at 11:00 a.m. (CST) / 12: 00 p.m. (EST) to provide additional updates.
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CHIPLEY, Fla. (AP) -- Florida authorities have found a missing baby alive under her baby sitter's bed and say they're planning to charge the baby sitter, her husband and the child's mother.

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock said early Thursday that
investigators found 7-month-old Shannon Dedrick in a box at Susan
Elizabeth Baker's home near Chipley, a rural Panhandle town.

The child had been missing since early Saturday Morning.

Haddock said deputies are working to charge Baker, James Arthur Baker and Chrystina Lynn Mercer.

Haddock wouldn't provide details.

He said more information would be released soon.

Her parents reported Shannon missing Saturday afternoon.

Haddock said authorities don't believe the father was involved.

He said Susan Baker and the father are related.
__________________________________________________________

CHIPLEY, Fla. (AP) -- Sheriff: 7 month old Shannon Dedrick from Chipley, Florida was found alive underneath her baby sitter's bed.

She had been missing since sometime Saturday morning.

Police have detained 3 people.

We will have more details as it becomes available.
__________________________________________________________

The search continues for 7-month-old Shannon Dedrick, who's been missing from Chipley, Florida since Saturday.

Now the focus has shifted to a former baby sitter and what she may know about the baby's parents.

Months before Shannon Dedrick disappeared from her family's home, her babysitter pleaded with Florida's governor to save the 7-month-old from her parents' alleged pattern of drug use and abuse.

In a letter to Governor Charlie Crist, Baker accuses the parents, Crystina Mercer and James Dedrick, of smoking marijuana and cigarettes around Shannon. She also claims the father had shaken the baby out of frustration.

That's when the Department of Children and Families stepped in and although the parents tested positive for marijuana use, there was no proof of abuse in the home.

"We had an enormous involvement with the family. There was really no grounds to go to court and remove the child," says Peter Digre of the Department of Children and Families.

And even if the allegations are true, the babysitter, Susan Baker, may have a few skeletons of her own.

Baker and her husband James were extradited from Chipley to Beaufort, South Carolina nine years ago in connection with the 1987 disappearance of their 3-year-old son Paul.

A case that is, to this day, still unsolved.

Right now, there are no new developments in the case, but The News Herald in Panama City is reporting that two deputies from Holmes and Jackson counties were blocking the gate to the Bakers' property as of Wednesday afternoon.

Shannon Dedrick was reporter missing by her parents on Saturday, October 31 at 11:23 a.m. from her home at 793C Brown Street in Chipley, Florida.

She's 11 pounds and 24 inches long.

Washington County Sheriff's Office at (850)-638-6111.

The complete email from Susan Baker to Governor Charlie Crist is towards the bottom of the page.

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Update 11/4/09 at 6:05 P.M.

The Department of Children And Families was brought into the picture after the former babysitter Susan Baker filed a complaint back in March and a second one in August, reporting that Shannon's parents were smoking marijuana and cigarettes around the baby.

In a letter to Governor Charlie Crist, the babysitter says that she's also seen the father, James Dedrick pick up the baby and shake her.

DCF says the parents, Crystina Mercer and James Dedrick, did test positive for marijuana use, but they told officials that they didn't smoke around the baby.

Once the investigation was completed, DCF says they had no grounds to go to court in order to remove the child from the home.

"the reports received from the programs was that the child was well, the child was healthy and the parents were doing an OK job," says Peter Digre of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Some rumors have been circulating about the credibility of the babysitter and perhaps her involvement in this case.

Baker and her husband James were extradited from Chipley to Beaufort, South Carolina nine years ago in connection with the 1987 disappearance of their 3-year-old son Paul, who's case is still unsolved.

And late tonight, the News Herald in Panama City is reporting that authorities blocked the entrance to the baby sitter's home since early Wednesday afternoon.
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This is the e-mail sent from Susan Baker to Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

CLARIFICATION: This is an exact copy. The mis-spellings in this letter are originally what was written.

Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 2:53 PM
To: Governor Charlie Crist
Subject: Important

Mr Governor Crist,

I want to tell you something, there is four people living together. They
are not working nor are they doing any kind of community serves. But they are drawing food stamps. They take there food stamps and trade them for drugs. Tina Merter was pregnant when she meet James Russell Dedrick, jr dob:Oct 23, 1978, he is 31 yrs old and has never had a job.

So James R Dedrick, jr put his name on Tina Merters baby birth certificate. So now he can get a check, food stamps, medicare. Now there are Micheal, Erica, Tina Merter & James R Dedrick, jr living all together in a house on 537 5th St, Chipley Florida 32428. They are all drowing food stamps and not woking or doing community service. That Is so wrong in alot of wasys.

Tina Meter's baby is being aboused. I have seen James R Dedrick, jr pick that baby up and shake her, just becouse the baby crys and that gets on his nerves. Micheal & Erica also have shoke that baby too. They smoke ciggerets and drugs with the baby in the same room. THAT CHILD NEEDS HELP & NO ONE IS HELPING HER.

Please Help this child she is mentaly challenged. It is not right that these

People are selling their food stamps for drugs. My husband works 58 hrs a week for us to live and it makes me very angry to see these people sitting on their back sides and draining the system that is put in place for the needy, Not the lazy. Please do something about this unjustice and Please, Please save that child.

Thank You For Your Time,
Susan Baker