Social worker slain; young charge abducted

? A social worker who had taken a 10-month-old boy to his mother’s house for a visit was found beaten and stabbed to death, and the baby was apparently abducted, authorities said.

Police found the body of Boni Frederick, 67, on Monday at the house after she failed to return to work. Her car was missing.

Police searched Tuesday for the missing boy, who was believed to be with his mother, Renee Terrell, 33, and her boyfriend. The child had been taken from his mother when he was 13 days old because of neglect, police said.

The mother and her boyfriend were last seen late Monday at a gas station in Illinois, authorities said.

Advocates said the slaying underscores the danger of social work.

“It’s like a state trooper stopping somebody for speeding,” said Kathleen Hoffman, deputy director of the Association of Social Work Boards. “Ninety-nine percent of the time it’s fine. But there’s always that chance that somebody has a gun.”