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A baby who had been missing for five days was found alive and well in a box tucked under her baby-sitter's bed. Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock tells The Associated Press that investigators found 7-month-old Shannon Dedrick at Susan Baker's home in Chipley, a rural Panhandle town. She was discovered under a bed in a box surrounded by items intended to keep her hidden. "Statistically speaking, this should not have ever happened, that we found this child alive, especially after so many days," Haddock told AP. "Time was against us." The baby appeared healthy after a visit to the hospital and was placed in protective custody. "We've had missing children cases in the past, but nothing like this," Haddock said. "It was very emotional for us, because once we got her to the hospital, we called our wives and every one of us was crying. Grown men crying." Florida authorities plan to charge Shannon's mother, Chrystina Mercer; the child's sitter and her husband, James Baker. Susan Baker and Shannon's father, James Dedrick, are related, but authorities do not believe he was involved. Haddock confirms that Susan Baker was charged in 2000 in the disappearance of 3-year-old Paul Baker. The Beaufort County, S.C., sheriff's office says the child was never found. According to court documents released Wednesday, child welfare workers in Florida started looking into allegations that Shannon was being abused less than two weeks after she was born. Haddock says that in August, Susan Baker wrote an e-mail to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist pleading for him to help the child. Court records reveal investigators frequently visited the Dedricks’ home from August to late September. They reported that both parents used marijuana and that the house was in disarray, but that the risk to the baby was only "intermediate." Furthermore, in September, an investigator said a doctor had determined that Shannon was healthy and had "no concerns regarding the baby." Shannon's parents reported her missing to authorities at 11 a.m. Saturday, saying they had not seen her since 3 a.m. After about 100 investigators searched the woods around the couple's home, they contacted the Bakers on Wednesday to search their home, where they eventually found the baby.

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