An Alexander County couple charged with killing the woman's 4-year-old daughter pleaded guilty Monday to felony concealment of a body.
Investigators found a child's skeleton on property near the home Olga Mendez and Kevin Eduardo Videa had shared in the Little River community in October 2008.
Mendez and Videa had moved at the time the body was found.
They were located in Longview, Texas, in late February.
The couple was returned to Alexander County in early March and charged with first-degree murder of Mendez' daughter, Brilly.
Police located the child's remains on the property following a search initiated by the Department of Social Services into the disappearance of the girl.
Mendez and Videa fled Alexander County shortly before a cadaver dog found the skeletal remains in the family's backyard, according to Alexander County authorities.
Brilly's remains were buried about 4 feet deep in a wooden box in the back yard, beside a shed.
Mendez and Videa appeared in court on Monday. Murder charges were dropped against the pair and they pleaded guilty to felony concealment of a body, according to WSOC-TV.
The murder charges were dismissed because the medical examiner could not determine the cause of death.
The couple received probation and time served, but could be deported because they were in the country illegally, WSOC-TV reported.
Timeline
Aug. 27, 2008: DSS notifies the Alexander County Sheriff's Office about concerns they have that Brilly Mendez, 4, is missing. Deputies begin their investigation and go to the family's home.
Sept. 8, 2008: Olga Mendez, 25, and Kevin Videa, 21, flee Alexander County.
Oct. 24, 2008: A cadaver dog discovers the buried remains of Brilly Mendez.
Feb. 20: Mendez and Videa are arrested in Longview, Texas, by FBI agents and the Longview SWAT team.
March 5: Mendez and Videa are brought back to Alexander County.
Nov. 16: Murder charges are dropped and the couple pleads guilty to felony concealment of a body.
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