The mum and stepdad of a missing five-year-old girl have been seized for her murder after her body was found buried in a sack in a shallow grave near the family home.
Little Maria Lucia Maidana's disappearance was reported by her grandmother after she discovered she had not shown up for nursery classes in Villa Dos Trece, Argentina, for days.
After just hours of searching, police found Maria's body under a patch of freshly dug earth just half a mile from her home on 22nd April.
Maria Maidana, 5, poses in undated photo. Her mother and stepfather were arrested for her death in Villa Dos Trece, Argentina. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)
Her mother Rosalia Maidana, 20, and her 24-year-old stepdad Nestor Perez at first claimed Maria had been visiting a relative out of town.
But when that proved to be a lie, mum Maidana claimed her daughter had drowned after falling into a river.
A search of the family home discovered bloodstained bed sheets, a 16 gauge shotgun and a .22 calibre handgun.
Rosalia Maidana poses in undated photo. She was arrested for her daughter's death in Villa Dos Trece, Argentina. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the girl's cause of death and discover if she had suffered abuse.
Both Maidana and Perez have been charged with aggravated homicide and are being held in pre-trial custody.
Rosalia Maidana poses in undated photo. She was arrested for her daughter's death in Villa Dos Trece, Argentina. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)
Maria's biological dad Jose Luis sobbed: "I'm trying to find strength from somewhere, and I want justice for Maria.
"I can't find answers. I don't know why they would do this to her."
(Simona Kitanovska / newsX)