KITTANNING, PA. Couple are charged in death of 4-year-old found in picnic cooler

Authorities say it appears the girl was kept apart from the rest of the family.
KITTANNING, Pa. (AP) -- A man and woman were charged with killing a 4-year-old girl, whose malnourished body was found in a picnic cooler behind their western Pennsylvania home, authorities said.
Kristen Tatar's 111/2-pound body was found in a 3-foot-by-11/2-foot cooler Thursday. The cause of death was not immediately known, but Armstrong County Coroner Robert Bower said at a news conference Friday that the girl suffered from malnutrition, dehydration and neglect.
Homicide charges
State police filed homicide charges late Thursday against James Tatar, 41, and Janet Crawford, 35, both of Vandergrift. Police said the couple was acting as Kristen's parents, but that they didn't know if either adult was her biological parent. Tatar and Crawford are not married, authorities said.
After an autopsy Friday morning, officials said they believed Kristen had been dead for weeks, but they could not say exactly when she died.
The last time a relative saw Kristen alive was six months ago, said Scott Andreassi, Armstrong County district attorney.
Armstrong County Children and Youth Services workers, who were aware Kristen suffered from medical problems and malnourishment, had been trying to contact the child for some time and called state police to investigate Wednesday.
Police found the girl's body inside a cooler, which was wrapped in garbage bags and then placed in a trash can near a shed in the back yard of the couple's house, about 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, authorities said.
Andreassi said Tatar, Crawford and two children -- Kristen and a 5-year-old boy believed to be her brother -- moved to Armstrong County a few years ago from Westmoreland County, where Children and Youth Services there had monitored Kristen's condition.
The girl earlier had problems with her stomach and esophagus that stopped her from properly eating, but her medical problems were treated years ago, Bower said.
Separated?
Authorities said there is some indication the girl was kept in a bedroom away from the rest of the family.
Andreassi said there wasn't a single photo of the girl in the home -- even though there were many photos of other relatives and friends.
Donna Kunselman, 64, who lived across the street from the family, was shocked to hear that a girl lived in the small home. She said she often saw the boy playing, but not the girl. Kunselman said the family never interacted with their neighbors.
Police arrested Tatar on Thursday night at his home, shortly after police found the body. Crawford was arrested later Thursday in Everett.
The defendants, who did not have attorneys as of Friday afternoon, were being held in the Armstrong County jail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Thursday.