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A Kansas couple was charged with murder after the woman's son's remains were found encased in concrete REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

A Kansas couple were charged with first-degree murder after the remains of a three-year-old boy were discovered encased in concrete. The remains of Evan C Brewer were found on 2 September inside a Wichita home where his mother once lived.

The boy's mother, Miranda Miller, and her boyfriend, Stephen Bodine, were initially held on suspicion of felony murder and child abuse, Wichita police said in a statement.

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Miller and Bodine are expected to appear in court this week.

According to The Associated Press (AP), Miller was already in jail for aggravated interference with parental custody. Bodine was also in jail, but was charged with aggravated assault.

Police were alerted by the house's landlord, who found a suspicious concrete structure emitting an odor while cleaning out the home. The couple lived in the home where the boy's body was found.

KWCH reported that the toddler had been the subject of a custody battle for months. The boy is the grandson of ex-Wichita mayor and gubernatorial candidate Carl Brewer, according to the AP.

Carl Brewer responded to the news in a statement, saying: "I am grateful to the men and women who worked to investigate Evan's death and those who will prosecute the case. We have hope the trial will bring justice for Evan and begin healing for our family."

Miller and Bodine are being held on $500,000 (£372,514) bail each.