Toddler Found Dead in Hearse Outside Gadsden Funeral Home; Woman Arrested for Murder

29-year-old Terica Pearl has been arrested on murder charges in connection with the tragic discovery of a toddler's body in a hearse outside a funeral home in Gadsden, Alabama.

By Savage RoyalT | August 12, 2025 | SavageRoyalT.com

A 29-year-old woman has been arrested after a toddler girl was found dead inside a hearse parked outside a Gadsden, Alabama, funeral home. Police identified the suspect as Terica Pearl, who was taken into custody roughly 12 hours after the discovery, following what authorities described as “a relentless, coordinated effort” by investigators. Pearl was booked into the Etowah County Jail around 2 a.m. Sunday on a murder charge. She is being held without bond.

“This was a tough case for everybody involved,” said Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford. “I’m proud of the way our police department went after the truth and got it done. An arrest doesn’t take away the hurt, but it does mean we’re one step closer to justice for this child.”

The victim has not yet been publicly identified. Authorities believe someone deliberately placed her inside the vehicle. Lt. Dusty Ford of the Gadsden Police Department confirmed the case is being investigated as a homicide “until we can prove otherwise.”

Dantez Robinson, funeral director at West Gadsden Funeral Home and chief deputy coroner for Etowah County, said the discovery left him beyond shocked. In a Facebook Live video, Robinson detailed the sequence of events, saying he returned to the funeral home around 8 p.m. Friday after responding to a death call at 7 p.m. He parked the unlocked hearse in the lot, left the keys inside, and left the office by 8:15 p.m., noting it was routine and they had “never had a problem with people going into our cars.”

The next morning, around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, the funeral home’s groundskeeper arrived to move the hearse back under the shed and saw the deceased toddler inside. He called Robinson immediately, who rushed to the scene. “To see that and to see my employee in disbelief, I was lost for words when I put the call out to the police department,” Robinson said. “It was tragic… It’s pathetic. Whoever has done this, whoever is behind it, turn yourselves in. Babies do not ask to be here. To do this, you’re sick in the head.”

Robinson vowed to give the child a proper burial and called for anyone with information to come forward. “Whoever this family is, whoever done this, we’re going to bury this baby,” he said. “We’re going to give this baby the proper burial. To have life taken so early, we’re going to stand up and bury this baby. We want this baby to have justice.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Gadsden police investigators at 256-549-4500