Charleroi mother takes plea deal in child’s death

The body of Kylie Wilt and Alan Hollis’ son was discovered hidden behind a wall in her apartment.

A Charleroi woman whose infant son was found entombed in the wall of her apartment four years ago pleaded no contest to third degree murder and child endangerment charges.

Facing the death penalty if convicted, Kylie Wilt, 28, agreed to testify against her son’s father in a plea agreement reached with prosecutors on the lesser charges.

Wilt appeared before Washington County Judge John DiSalle earlier this week where she entered her no contest plea. Under Pennsylvania law, entering a no contest plea means that you are not admitting guilt for the crime and that you are waiving the right to have a trial and present a defense.

Wilt, and Alan Wayne Hollis, 31, were both charged by Charleroi Regional Police in December 2021 with homicide and aggravated assault along with conspiracy, concealing the death of a child, abuse of a corpse, endangering the welfare of a child, obstructing the administration of justice, welfare fraud and tampering with evidence.

Police said the infant boy, named “Archer” according to court records, was found wrapped in blankets inside a gray plastic crate that had been sealed with new drywall in a cubbyhole in a bedroom of their Lookout Avenue residence.

Wilt said the child died sometime in February 2021 when they were living in a different home, and she moved the corpse with her to their new home, the complaint said.

Investigators say Wilt and the child’s father originally claimed the baby died of Sudden Infant Syndrome in February 2021.

Police say the two had first put the baby’s body in a plastic crate at the laundry room of their old apartment, and after moving, placed the child and the crate in a wall and covered it with drywall.

While the cause of death was never determined, the autopsy showed the child had several broken ribs while he was alive.

The incident came to light when an investigator contracted by Washington County Children and Youth Services reached out to police for help locating the child, according to police.

Wilt reached out to police the day after her initial arrest and said she “wanted to tell the truth.” She told investigators Hollis was aware of the child’s death and was the one who cut the hole in the wall and sealed the crate inside.

Hollis later admitted he was the one who cut the hole in the wall, according to the complaint.

Investigators detailed November 2020 text messages between Wilt and Hollis in which they exp ress their disdain for the baby and occasionally their other children, according to the complaint. The text messages, included in the complaint, show both Wilt and Hollis referring to the child by explicit, derogatory names and complaining about how he “just won’t shut up.”

In February 2022, Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh notified Wilt and Hollis of three aggravating circumstances, including the child’s age, the fact the death happened while another felony was allegedly committed, along with the belief that the baby was tortured, that makes them eligible for the death penalty if they’re convicted.

Walsh said Friday that Wilt’s sentence is deferred until after Hollis’ case is resolved “and will be based upon whether she cooperates.”

“If she does, the Commonwealth will recommend 18 to 36 years on the third-degree murder plea, and 20 years probation on endangering the welfare of a child plea,” Walsh said. “If she does not cooperate, then the Commonwealth will seek the maximum punishment allowed by law.”

Both Hollis and Wilt remain in the Washington County Correctional Facility without bond. No trial date for Hollis has been set.