Two adults have been charged in the tragic death of the 6-year-old who drowned in the Erie Canal near Rochester Thursday. Aliyah Williams was at Henpeck Park when she vanished. Hours later, her body was pulled from the Canal. The victim and her 11 year-old sister were brought to the park by their 23-year-old cousin Tyler Kanaley and his friend 25-year-old Laura McCasland. They have been charged with criminal possession of marijuana and face more charges. Police say they had consumed marijuana earlier in the day before letting the victim approach the canal unsupervised. Nobody saw her fall into the water.
As part of their investigation into Aliyah’s death, police searched the car Kanaley and McCasland drove to the park in and found one-half pound of marijuana.
Kanaley and McCasland were staying at Kanaley’s grandfather’s house, which police searched, and where they discovered an additional 31 pounds of marijuana.
Kanaley and McCasland were both arraigned this past Friday and are being held at the Monroe County Jail.
