Father accused of murdering and burying 13-year-old son after child found photos of dad in women’s underwear

Prosecutors argue that father killed son, enraged that boy had found photos of dad in women’s underwear, diaper, and appearing to eat feces

A 59-year-old man stands accused of second-degree murder and child abuse leading to the death of his 13-year-old son Dylan, who went missing in November 2012 during a court-ordered visit to his father’s home in Vallecito in southwestern Colorado.

A witness testified on Tuesday during the second week of Mark Redwine’s murder trial that he had gone up a mountain road alone five months after Dylan’s disappearance. It was an area close to the spot where some of the boy’s bones were later found.

Mr Redwine claims that he’s innocent. He says he came home after running errands on 19 November 2012 and that Dylan was gone, possibly attacked by a wild animal after going outside.

Prosecutors argue that Mr Redwine killed Dylan, enraged that the boy had found photos of his father in women’s underwear, wearing a diaper, and eating what appeared to be faeces from a diaper.

Dylan’s older brother, Cory Redwine, testified that his sibling had found the images during a family road trip in 2011.

“Dylan lost any reason for him to look up to Mark that day,” Cory Redwine told a jury in La Plata County earlier this month, according to The Denver Post.

Prosecutors say Mr Dewine killed Dylan on 18 November 2012 during a confrontation about the photos.

Some of Dylan’s bones were found in June 2013 in a steep area several miles from Mr Redwine’s home. The spot was near a mountain road, an ATV trail, and not far from a footpath, according to La Plata County sheriff’s Sergeant Martin Brenner, who testified on Tuesday.

The area is mostly inaccessible for vehicles during the winter months, leading to search parties only being able to fully cover the area in the summer of 2013.

Dylan’s stepfather Michael Hall testified that he saw Mr Redwine coming down the mountain road in his pickup truck in April 2013.

The efforts to find Dylan were taking place in a different location on that day. Mr Hall had driven up the mountain road to relieve himself in what he thought would be a secluded area.

He said in his testimony that he was surprised to see Mr Redwine, The Denver Post reported.

Mr Hall added that he thought that Mr Redwine sped away from him when they saw each other. Mr Hall followed Mr Redwine down the mountain and turned away when they reached paved roads.

Mr Hall testified that he installed motion-activated cameras at the scene to see if Mr Redwine returned.

The sighting of Mr Redwine prompted law enforcement to focus on the mountain road area, and Dylan’s partial remains were found two months later.

Investigators found three of his bones, parts of a T-shirt, earbuds, an elastic band from a pair of underwear, a sock, and a shoe.

One investigator found some hair, but the testimony on Tuesday didn’t clarify if the hair belonged to Dylan. His skull was found at least a mile away in 2015. Investigators also found what seemed to be either a finger or a toe in animal excrement at the site. The items were found in an area covering several feet between two downed trees.

Dylan’s cell phone, iPod, backpack, and wallet have not been located.