Aveion Lewis

• Age: 2
• Call police with any information: 853-2212 or (800)822-4453

Brandon Lockett

UPDATED JAN. 22: Investigators have resumed their search for Aveion Lewis. Police said Friday that teams are searching an area around the home, including the Roanoke River, for the boy's remains. ALSO: Roanoke's social services releases more details about the case

A search warrant unsealed Thursday in the case of Aveion Lewis describes his death as a homicide and his short life as one of neglect.

The 2-year-old had recently suffered blistering burns on both legs from a heater, and did not receive medical care for those injuries, the search warrant says.

Before that, he'd been placed in foster care for 16 months, the document said.

Aveion has been missing since Jan. 14, when his parents called police and reported that he'd been abducted.

Police said they have since learned from the child's stepfather, Brandon Lockett, that Aveion died before police were contacted. His body has not been found. Thursday's search was postponed because of inclement weather, police said.

The search warrant did not state how police believe the toddler died.

On Wednesday, police charged Lockett, 24, with felony child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice. Aveion's mother, Morgan Lockett, has been interviewed by police but has not been charged.

The search warrant, filed Wednesday in Roanoke Circuit Court, says that Aveion was born with a medical problem that required surgery to remove part of his intestines. As a result, he had a strict feeding schedule and needed medication.

When he was 14 months old, he weighed less than 9 pounds, and authorities found that his parents were not following the medical instructions for his care, the search warrant says.

Aveion, who would have turned 3 later this month, was removed from his home for 16 months, in which time he doubled his weight, according to the document.

He returned to his parents' home on King Charles Avenue in Southeast Roanoke in September, according to the search warrant.

At that time, the Locketts were having financial problems and they were taking care of three other children, according to the document.

The search warrant says Aveion was described as having a "high threshold for pain."

Police searched the Locketts' home Tuesday and took a number of items including cellphones, a handwritten letter, children's clothing, a pillow, a mattress, a "green leafy substance," baby bottles and prescription medicine.

The FBI is helping the police investigate Aveion's death, and it provided statistics about cases of false allegations to cover up the death of a child. Those statistics, which were included in the search warrant, indicate:

n In 44 percent of cases, there is a history of previous physical abuse or maltreatment.

n In 53 percent of cases, there was a prolonged period of separation from the parents.

n In 41 percent of cases, the victim had been described by the offender as being "difficult" or "different."

n In 92 percent of cases, the families have other domestic problems including financial, drug-related, multiple toddlers and family violence issues.

Police urge anyone with information about the investigation to call them at 853-2212.