A mum allegedly tortured and beat her toddler son so badly that only a leg and liver could be identified from his dismembered body.
Tragic Noah Tomlin's body was found on an industrial site near his home in Buckrow Beach, Virginia in June.
His mum Julia Tomlin, 34, has now been charged with his murder.
The two-year-old is likely to have fallen several floors from a tall building, a coroner said.
Anton Bell, prosecuting, said the young boy had been tortured before his death.
Investigators had to use "partial parts and pieces" from Noah's body to try and work out what happened.
He died from two skull fractures, the post mortem found.
Mr Bell said: "I have been prosecuting for more than 20-plus years, and I’ve seen some very graphic things.
"I’ve seen some very horrific crime scenes and have actually gone to an autopsy.
"And nothing really kind of grabs you like seeing a child, or a toddler, being the victim of a crime."
Tomlin, who was arrested and charged with child neglect, initially claimed Noah had hit his head and drowned while he was in the bath.
A medical examiner found hairline fractures, sustained over a period of times, which would have prevented his bones growing, WYDaily reports .
The mum had reportedly served five months in prison in 2010 after being convicted of child neglect.
