Police: DNA tests confirm body is missing toddler

9/10/2013
BY BLADE STAFF
Elaina Steinfurth
Elaina Steinfurth

Toledo Police said that DNA tests confirmed that human remains found in an East Toledo home last week were of missing toddler Elaina Steinfurth.

Police searched 704 Federal St. Thursday and recovered a box that police said contained immature human skeletal remains they believed were of the toddler, who was last seen alive about three months ago. A DNA sample was sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation last week, with work done over the weekend to confirm the identity.

RELATED: Storify page tracking the Elaina Steinfurth case.

Elaina was 18-months-old when she was last seen at the Federal Street home owned by the family of her mother's estranged boyfriend. The girl's mother, Angela Steinfurth, stayed overnight in the home the night of June 1 with her two daughters and then-boyfriend Steven King II, 23. The girls' father, Terry Steinfurth II, 25, went to the home at about 2 p.m. on June 2 to pick up the girls, but was only given their 4-year-old daughter, Kylee.

Mrs. Steinfurth, 25, who is estranged from but still legally married to Mr. Steinfurth, said she didn't know where the toddler was, police have reported.

Mrs. Steinfurth and Mr. King remain in the Lucas County jail, charged with obstructing justice for allegedly lying to police during the ongoing investigation. Prosecutors said they would consider additional charges if the remains were identified as Elaina's.