A tragic and deeply unsettling story is unfolding across two states after 17-year-old Caden Cantrelle was found dead just days after going missing. His body was discovered by deputies in Jasper County, Mississippi, about five hours away from his home in Wayne County, Tennessee.
What makes this case even more heartbreaking is that Caden was under the care of Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) at the time. The department had allowed him a two-day visit with his uncle. He never returned.
According to WSMV, Caden’s guardian ad litem, Stacie Odeneal, is now speaking out—and she’s not holding back. She believes Caden’s death didn’t just happen. She believes it could have been prevented.
“We as a system prevented him from having a chance,” Odeneal told WSMV. “Caden was such an incredible kid who had been through so much. He experienced so much and was committed. This kid called me regularly.”
Odeneal represents children who’ve faced abuse or neglect, and she says she was never consulted about the visit. If she had been, she would have raised serious red flags. The man granted custody for that weekend, 37-year-old Victory Jerome Carver III, has a criminal record that includes a guilty plea for attempted aggravated assault.
“If this had been presented to me or presented to a judge and we knew the criminal history, many of us knew this uncle had a significant criminal history, we would have been opposed to giving this level of access to this child,” she said.
The most disturbing part? When Caden didn’t return, his uncle didn’t report him missing. “The uncle never reported him missing,” Odeneal said. “He didn’t call the police. There is no record of police or an ambulance being called.”
Caden’s body was eventually found after investigators tracked the last ping from his phone, which led them to Jasper County. From there, officials reached out to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee. Carver was taken into custody and is now facing a manslaughter charge. More charges could be coming as the investigation continues.
DCS has yet to publicly comment on the case. WSMV reached out but has not received a response. Odeneal said she’s subpoenaed DCS records to find out who made the call to approve the visit—and why.
“It is not just a child that died,” she said. “It was hope.”
This case is sending shockwaves through the Tennessee child welfare community and raising serious questions about oversight, decision-making, and who’s being held accountable when something goes wrong.
As the investigation moves forward, the community—and Caden’s advocate—are demanding answers.