People in Philadelphia who joined the search for a missing 10-year-old girl say they are shocked and angry after her foster mother was arrested more than a week after the child was last seen.
Police issued a missing-person notice Monday for Jalayshia “Malayshia” Alford. Investigators said she was last seen alive on Oct. 22. On Thursday, police announced that her remains had been found.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said video recorded early Oct. 26 showed someone carrying a body out of a West Philadelphia home at about 1:53 a.m. That footage led investigators to a vehicle they wanted to locate and to a person they wanted to question, she said.
At about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, investigators found Alford’s remains in the trunk of a car parked at the Stonington Court Apartments in Lindenwold, New Jersey. A medical examiner determined she died from blunt-force trauma and ruled her death a homicide.
Prosecutors said objects may have been used to inflict the injuries and that investigators found signs of abuse. Alford’s foster mother, Carprice Williams, was charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and other offenses, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
A memorial of balloons and stuffed animals was set up Thursday evening. Malcolm Jordan, who had taken part in the search, said the outcome was heartbreaking and called for efforts to prevent similar tragedies.
Another resident said the balloons represented the love people felt for the girl.
