The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office says the death of two-year-old Nevaeh Allen was a homicide.
The exact cause of the girl's death is pending further tests.
Her body was found on Sunday near Pearlington, Mississippi, about 20 minutes from Slidell.
Police arrested her stepfather, 30-year-old Phillip Gardner, on charges of obstruction of justice and unlawful disposal of remains.
Gardner could face additional charges based on what the coroner determines about the child's cause of death.
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