The foster mother of a 10-year-old girl whose disappearance set off a massive search has been charged with murder after the child's body was found in the trunk of a car across state lines in New Jersey, Philadelphia officials said Thursday.
Malayshia Alford was last seen at her home on October 22. Her disappearance triggered an intense search by local residents, the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI.
Investigators reached a turning point on Wednesday, when surveillance video from the early morning hours of October 26 showed what authorities believe to be her body being moved out of the home in a bag, Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said at a news conference Thursday. The video pointed police to a witness who led them to the body late Wednesday night in the trunk of a car in New Jersey.
Her cause of death is believed to be blunt force trauma, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, officials said.
Her foster mother, 36-year-old Caprice Williams, has been charged with murder, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, Toczylowski said. Williams did not have a criminal record, according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. The charges are allegations, and Williams is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said Thursday that authorities would continue to investigate the tragedy and seek justice.
