A Philadelphia foster parent has been accused of the "brutal murder" of a 10-year-old girl in her care, officials announced. The girl, Malayshia Alford, was discovered in a vehicle in New Jersey after a multi-day search.
Carprice Williams, 36, has been charged with murder, endangering the welfare of a child, possession of an instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse, according to police. Williams was Malayshia's foster parent, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner stated during a press conference.
Malayshia was last seen alive on Oct. 22 at her Philadelphia home. Investigators believe that shortly before 2 a.m. on Oct. 26, an individual removed her body from the residence in a bag and placed it into a vehicle, according to Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski, citing recovered video surveillance. The district attorney stated this individual was not Williams.
Investigators identified a suspect vehicle from the surveillance footage, and a witness associated with that vehicle aided in locating Malayshia. Her body was found in the trunk of another vehicle in New Jersey on Wednesday night. "It was immediately apparent that she had been there for a while," Toczylowski said.
A preliminary autopsy indicated that Malayshia's cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the manner of death has been ruled a homicide. "We do have the indication that there were instances of abuse happening, and that items were used to carry out that abuse," Toczylowski added.
Williams was denied bail during a court appearance and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 23. She has been appointed a public defender, who declined to comment on the case. Krasner indicated that more information regarding Malayshia's placement with Williams would be available later.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker stated that the police, district attorney's office, and FBI are committed to uncovering all facts and seeking justice for Malayshia. The brother of Malayshia's biological father expressed gratitude for community support and asked for privacy and no judgment for his family during this difficult time.