news-record.com

BURLINGTON - The sheriff's office has recovered a little girl whose mother was found dead this morning in their home. Ashley Ellen Roland, 24, was found dead in her bed at 3135 Lot 13 Calloway Drive in Mebane around 7 a.m. Friday, according to the Alamance County Sheriff's Office.

Jennifer Kay Porter, 26, and April Gail Gaddis, 28, were babysitting Roland's two-year-old daughter, Skylah, said Randy Jones, sheriff's office spokesman. The two women told the sheriff's office they called Roland's father, Carl, when they could not reach Roland by phone.

Carl Roland and two friends drove to his daughter's house and found her dead. Jones said there were no apparent signs of foul play but the death remains under investigation. Roland's body has been sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy.

Jones said it wasn't immediately clear where Skylah was or who Porter and Gaddis were but he said detectives never considered the child kidnapped. The women eventually made contact with the sheriff's office this morning from Burlington and Skylah has since been put into the custody of family.